Heroes and Demons
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: Yugi and his friends find a well in the Secret Garden that leads to the Feudal Era. There they meet the half-demon Inuyasha and his friends and their groups join together. New abilities are gained and everyone's trust and feelings will be put to the test in what may be their toughest adventure yet.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A young girl stood silently in a dark void. _My name is Max, _she thought to herself. _But what is it that makes me Max? In my life, I've taken on many different shapes and used many different identities, but I've always used the same name. Are all those the same Max or is each her own Max? Even I don't know. Can it be that because of this, I don't know who I really am either?_

_It must be quite a challenge, figuring out who I really am, what it is that makes me Max, what it is that separates me from everyone else. It shouldn't be that hard, actually. I know what makes me different from others. Still, can it also be that I'm not as entirely human as the rest of the people that I know that I don't know what I am?_

_To be endowed with the powers of a Lord of darkness and evil, it's not this curse alone that separates me from others, let alone defines who I am. Why did I also have to be cursed to be born with animal genes? Call me a hybrid, call me an abomination, but that's not me. All my life, I've felt controlled, held back, used like a pawn. I've never had the freedom to choose my own destiny, to be my own person. I know I can't escape from what I was born as, but I feel like I don't have the freedom of choice for anything._

_No matter how much I try to take control, I feel like something inside is trying to break loose. Could it be the demon in me or is it the Dark Lord? For every Cobalt Star shard I collect, the dark power within me grows stronger. Not just inside, but outside, too. My wings are starting to become less bird-like and more bat-like as they begin to lose their feathers and change shape. My senses of sight, smell, taste, and hearing have become stronger than they were in the past. Then I wonder, is the monster within me trying to break loose or am I becoming the demon within?_

_It's hard to keep everything contained and secret; especially from my friends; especially since they now know more about my past. Am I becoming afraid of what may happen in the future? How much longer do I have to keep suffering the life as a host until I can finally be free? I guess this is all part of what makes me who I am and who I am is Max._


	2. Wonderland

Wonderland

On a hot summer day, Yugi and his friends came to relax in the Secret Garden. "What a great day for a swim," said Yugi. "There's not a cloud in the sky."

"The temperature's just right too," said Emily.

Everyone came dressed in their swimsuits and set their belongings down near the lake. Before going in for a swim, Emily and Téa helped each other apply sunscreen on their bodies.

"Guys, look," Joey said, looking near the cliffs. "Those waterfalls are formed like water slides."

"Awesome," said Tristan. "This'll be like we're in a water park."

"I wonder if those water slide falls appeared after we rescued the world of the Sailor Scouts," Emily suggested as she rubbed sunscreen on Téa's back. The Pure Valley was always changing every time the heroes saved a new world.

The falls were like water slides, all right. The rides were smooth and landed right in the lake. Joey rode down one of the slides and landed in the lake. "It's like a water park, only much better."

Tristan agreed. "It's not crowded here, the water's nice and clean as well as refreshing, and there are no crowded snack bars. It sure beats going to a public swimming pool."

"And we can come here whenever we want to," Joey added. "No business hours, no rules-,"

"That doesn't mean we don't have to be careful," Téa interrupted. She got up and switched places with Emily so she could help her put sunscreen on.

While Joey and Tristan were enjoying the water slides, Yugi positioned himself underneath another waterfall. He wanted to check the flow of the water. It was flowing smoothly, so he decided to unfold his wings and position them in the water. His wings felt like they were being massaged by the water.

As Joey saw Yugi taking a human birdbath, he thought about doing the same thing, but quickly objected. His wings were made of fire and he didn't want to risk getting them extinguished and losing his ability to fly. Then again, the fire was magical. If it didn't burn his body, maybe it wouldn't get extinguished. The only way to know was to test it for himself. He unfolds his wings and carefully pours water over his shoulder. Joey didn't hear a sizzling sound and wondered if the water failed to touch his wings.

Joey was scared to do it, but he took a deep breath and placed his wing close to the waterfall. As the water fell on his wing, the fire quickly reformed. His wings really were made of a magical fire. Joey still had to be careful, though, and avoid conditions like stormy weather such as rain, snow, and wind.

Now that Téa and Emily had finished putting sunscreen on, they could go swimming. Emily eagerly jumped in. Téa took her time so her body could get used to the temperature. Thankfully, the water wasn't too cold and she began swimming right away. She left the shallow part of the lake and joined Emily where the water was deep.

It had been a while since the group spent time together like this after all the adventures that had been going on in the past few months. In the beginning, it always just used to be Yugi, Emily, Joey, Téa, and Tristan. Then they made more friends and their team got bigger. Now it was just the five of them again just like how it used to be. At least, for the moment.

Max was with them too, but rather than join the others for a swim, she decided to meditate under another waterfall. Yugi and the others didn't always understand what she was doing. Was she trying to get in tune with nature? Was this her idea of relaxing? Whatever the reason, it would be wise not to disturb her.

Rather than leave her be, Joey decided to play a sneaky trick. He cupped some water in his hands and splashed it against her face. Hearing the sound of his laughter, Max knew he did this to her. "Damn it, Wheeler," she snapped. She tripped him up, causing him to slip on the rocks.

He came to the surface and wiped the water from his face. "What'd you do that for?" he asked.

"You ruined my concentration."

"Come on, Max, have some fun," Joey insisted.

A sly smile crossed Max's face. "So it's fun you want, is it?"

Joey didn't like the way Max was smiling. He began swimming away from her, but wasn't getting anywhere. Max began using her magic to control the flow of the water and turn it into a wave strong enough to cover Joey and submerge him underwater.

Joey came up to the surface and began gasping for air. Some water also managed to get in his nose, making it a little painful. "Was that really necessary," he asked Max.

Max smiled innocently and replied, "No, but it was still fun."

"I didn't even have a surfboard," Joey complained.

"What good would that do you?" Tristan asked, helping him up. "You don't even know how to surf."

"I can learn," Joey snapped. "And I can practice."

Max handed Joey his towel. "You would need years of learning, knowing you."

"You know, if I didn't have feelings for you, I'd give you a piece of my mind," Joey grumbled as he walked off.

Max heard him and replied, "And I'd take it. But that'd leave you with none to spare."

"Damn it, Max!" Joey shouted. He curled his hand into a fist and hit it against a hard wooden surface. He winced and rubbed his hand, wondering what he hit. When he turned the other way, Joey saw a strange wooden well. "What the heck? Where'd this come from?"

Max looked too. "Where did it come from? It definitely wasn't here before."

Yugi got out of the water and began drying off. "What's going on, you guys? What are you looking at?" Emily and Téa got out of the lake and began following him.

"It looks like some kind of well," Max told him.

"Come on," Tristan scoffed. "Wells don't just build themselves."

"Apparently, they do here in the Secret Garden," said Téa.

"Remember, this place is always changing, so you can always expect surprises," cautioned Emily. She softens her voice and mutters, "But there's something familiar about this well." When she placed her hand against the rim, a voice echoed in her head, _"It is a doorway to a new world."_

"A new world," gasped Emily.

"Say what?" asked Joey.

"Just now, I heard a voice in my head telling me that this well leads to another world," the blonde girl told her friends.

"Like _Alice in Wonderland_," Tristan assumed as he looked down the well. "Maybe that's where your next adventure is."

"Alice fell down a rabbit hole, not a dried-up well," Téa reminded him. She softens herself and sighs dejectedly. "But if this really does lead to a new world, I guess that means you've got to go and save it."

All of Téa's friends understood her sadness. She and Tristan couldn't go with their friends only to risk getting trapped with the possibility of never getting back home. Other than that, Téa had been looking forward to spending time with everyone for a long time.

"We don't have to go right away," Emily assured her. "We can keep hanging out. There's really no rush."

"Then again," continued Téa, "time does pass differently in the other worlds. So if you go, you'll be back in an instant. That means there's really nothing to worry about. But you'll still be in another world for a long time."

"We know how tough the situation is," Yugi said with empathy. "That's why we want to spend as much time as we can with you guys before we have to go."

Téa smiled and said, "Thanks, Yugi. I wish we could go with you, but knowing what you warned us, it'd be best for me and Tristan to wait. Besides, once you save this world, we can come back and see it for ourselves whenever we want to."

Joey nodded. "That's right. So let's spend as much time together as we can until it's time for us to go."

Téa had a better idea. "Why don't we help you get your supplies together for when you head out? I'm sure you've got to go back anyway to tell Kaiba."

She was right. Yugi and the others would need Kaiba for this next adventure. So it was decided that they would return to their world to get all the essentials they would need for the journey and notify Kaiba that a door to a new world had opened.

In many ways, the Pure Valley was a wonderland to the people who came to visit. And this wonderland was also a gateway to a whole new wonderland. That was when Emily began singing.

_Slipping, sliding_

_Free fall flying_

_Spinning, spiral, stripping around_

_Reeling, rolling_

_Tipping, toeing_

_Think we're going underground_

_There's a whole new world on the other side_

_We can find our friend at the end of the line_

_No matter where we fall or where we land_

_I believe we're part of a master plan_

Téa joined in and began singing, _Who knows where_

_Who know where the journey ends,_ Emily sang.

_The journey ends,_ Téa sang.

_Catch me if you think you can,_ Emily sang.

Téa sang as she held out her hand, _Take my hand_

Emily held her hand and sand, _Take my hand, we're going to_

_We're going to Wonderland, _they sang together.

_Way up high,_ Téa sang.

_Way up high, I'll fly with you,_ Emily sang.

_We can fly,_ Téa sang.

_To a place where dreams come true,_ Emily added.

_Take my hand,_ Téa repeated.

_Take my hand, we're going to,_ Emily echoed.

_We're going to Wonderland,_ the girls repeated.

Emily danced around and sang, _Twisting, turning_

_Living, learning_

_Forever changing where we're at_

_Plotting, scheming_

_Hoping, dreaming_

_Two steps forward, one step back_

Her friends danced with her as she continued, _Look to the left, look to the right_

_Look straight ahead, you'll see the light_

_Take a deep breath, then let it go_

_Together we'll travel down every road._

When everyone finished singing, the group decided to return to their world to get ready. Yugi, Joey, Max, and Emily packed everything they thought they would need such as extra clothes, cleaning products, sleeping bags, pieces of entertainment, snacks, and money. Yugi called Kaiba and told him that a door to a new world had just appeared. The brunette was happy to hear that. He had been waiting for a new adventure. He needed to get out of his office anyway. The air conditioning was down at the company and maintenance was working to repair it. After finishing up a few reports and packing everything he needed for his travels, Kaiba hurried to meet up with his friends.

Everyone met up at town square, ready to return to the Pure Valley. Téa and Tristan returned as well. They decided to stay in the Secret Garden and keep relaxing at the lake a little while longer due to the bothersome heat. They also wanted to wish their friends well as they would see them off.

Kaiba inspected the well. "This is the way to the new world?" he asked his friends. "Doesn't look like it."

"Things aren't always what they seem," Yugi reminded him. "Still, I wonder what awaits us in this world."

Emily wondered too. Usually the Great Goddess would emerge to provide her heroes a few words of wisdom to prepare them for their next adventure. For that matter, Emily decided to release the Millennium Star from her heart. When she did, the Great Goddess began taking on her true form.

"Greetings, my heroes," she greeted. "And, Max, it is good to see you again as well."

"It's good to see you too," Emily returned. "We were wondering if you could tell us something about the new world you're sending us to."

Millennia smiled and chuckled. "It is not just a matter of where you are going, but when you are going."

Kaiba crossed his arms. "We're going now, aren't we?"

"It seems I am not clear in my statement," excused the Great Goddess. "To be clear, you are going to another era."

"You mean, we're going to another time," Joey asked.

"Rest assured, this world will still be similar to the other worlds," advised Millennia. "It will still be a world of monsters and magic. It will also be another world that will test your loyalty and inner strength."

"Will it be like what we went through in the world of the Sailor Scouts," Yugi asked.

"That you will have to discover on your own," she told him. "In your last mission, you discovered new things about yourselves and each other. And I must praise every one of you for staying true to your feelings and loyalty to one another and your new allies." She stops smiling and advises her heroes, "But I must warn you, the monsters you face will be more dangerous. Monsters, the most feared and scorned of creatures to live. But what is it that separates man from monster? Is there even a difference?"

"Where are you going with this?" Kaiba asked.

Millennia began to explain the story. "Since the beginning, many humans have shared the misguided judgement that monsters represent all that is evil in the world. They have also failed to see the monsters they had turned themselves into for their own wrongs that they committed. Many people who showed no signs of fear or hate were able to live happily with their demon companions. Though monsters had the ability to masquerade as humans, in many ways, they were humans in body and in spirit. Sadly, human-demon relationships are still frowned upon by societies not just in your world, but the other worlds."

The thought of it saddened Emily. She knew that it was the same for relationships with people of mixed races and cultures and it still went on even today.

Millennia smiled at the heroes. "I hope the advice I have given you will not change your perspective on monsters. You have already met and befriended with many monsters in the past and accepted them."

"Yeah, why should we feel any different?" Joey asked.

"Still, some monsters will hurt us, but there must also be some that we can trust," Yugi added.

"We're not prejudiced," boasted Emily.

"I will leave it to you to decide friend from foe as I watch over you in the new world," said Millennia. "To help you on your journey, I will also give you a weapon to help you." Using her magic, the Great Goddess creates weapons and tools for the boys. Joey is given a bow with a quiver full of arrows, Yugi is given a sword, and Kaiba is given a golden staff decorated with rings.

"What about me and Max?"

"You will still have your magic powers," said Millennia. "I have one last warning: your adventures are starting to become more dangerous. Your powers are also becoming stronger and you are also gaining new abilities, but you must also continue to use all that you know and believe in. In the end, that will be your greatest weapon against the forces of evil. It will also help you stand united against your enemies."

Yugi looked down. "You did warn us that would happen. Things are getting harder."

"But we're not going to stop now," said Kaiba.

"Not until we make it through to the end," said Emily.

Millennia was pleased to hear that. "I am grateful to you for your dedication. And know that I am always with you." She returns to her form as a star and Emily places the Millennium Star back inside her heart. It was time for the heroes to go. One by one, they all jump into the well.


	3. Feudal Fumble

Feudal Fumble

A radiating light shined around the heroes. When it finally dimmed down, everyone took notice of how their clothes had changed. Yugi was wearing a dark blue kimono patterned with light blue birds and sandals on his feet. Emily was wearing a white kimono with silver butterflies and a golden comb in her hair. Joey was wearing a yellow kimono with orange fire patterns and orange pants. Kaiba was wearing a charcoal gray kimono with a red robe tied around it. Max was wearing a purple kimono with lavender wave patterns.

"Our clothes have changed again," observed Yugi. "That must mean we've crossed over to the new world."

"Based on these traditional, yet gaudy clothes, I'd assume we've gone back in time," said Kaiba.

"I don't doubt it," said Joey. "And I think I have an idea of where we wound up."

"Might as well look around, just to be sure," Emily suggested.

Kaiba firmly grasped the vines and gave a tug. They seemed sturdy enough to hold, so Kaiba began climbing up the vines. He came to the surface and looked around to observe. "This looks promising," he muttered.

Yugi called out to Kaiba and asked, "What do you see, Kaiba?"

"It doesn't look different from when we left the Secret Garden," he answered. "We're still surrounded by trees and under a clear sky." He sniffed and said softly, "But the air does smell different."

Max came out after him and began taking in the surroundings. "I see what you mean."

He helped her out of the well and added, "Still, we must be in a new world. Why else would our clothes have changed?"

Emily climbed out from the well. "Let's not forget, not only are we in a different place, we're also in a different time."

Joey came out of the well and helped Yugi out. "And I'm starting to think my assumptions are right."

Yugi agreed. "We were told that this is a world of magic and monsters. Some are friends and some are enemies and we've got to be careful to know which from which."

Suddenly, Joey yelped and cried, "Whoa, Max! You got them ears again!" and pointed at her.

"Of course I have ears, you dolt," she snapped. "Who doesn't-?" she stopped herself as she placed her hand close to her head. Feeling something soft and fuzzy, she realized what Joey was overreacting about. Her fox ears suddenly appeared again. And if her fox ears appeared, surely her tail did too. Max noticed her tail swaying back and forth against the ground, getting grass and dirt stuck on it. _Hello again,_ she wondered, grabbing her tail and stopping it from swaying. Seeing everyone look at her in shock, she assures them, "Relax, I can make myself look normal."

"You'd better," Kaiba warned. "We don't want to attract any unwanted attention."

"How did your fox features appear all of a sudden?" Emily asked.

"It must be something about this place," Max assumed, concealing her fox features. "This is a world of humans and demons. Maybe the demonic power here just triggered it. The ears and tail don't usually appear on their own."

But Max wasn't a demon. Apparently, Yugi and his friends had forgotten that Max wasn't entirely human either. No, she was human, born with the genes of a fox.

Joey spoke up. "Hold on, if Max's ears and tail appeared, then maybe…" he stopped himself and began concentrating. To his delight, his wings emerged from his back. "All right!" he cheered. "My wings came out! I can use my wings."

"Well, we were promised we could use our powers in this world," Emily reminded him.

"And we may need to here in this world," Yugi added. "If we're right about this place-,"

But before he could finish, a voice spoke and said, "I wondered what the ruckus was about. It's just a group of humans around the well." The voice belonged to a young man dressed in a red outfit with gold eyes and silver hair and dog ears on his head. Accompanying him was a little boy dressed in green clothes with a fur vest and a fox tail and fox feet, a young woman with pink and green clothes and her dark brown hair tied back behind her, a young man wearing black and purple clothes suited for a monk, and a cream colored cat with two tails and orange eyes.

The heroes looked in astonishment. Just one look at this group was enough to justify their suspicions.

"What a surprise," he said, in the manner. "I come here expecting Kagome and see you guys." He cautiously approached the heroes. "I haven't seen any of you around here before."

"We're new," Yugi told him. "We just got here."

A few seconds later, a young girl dressed in a green and white middle school uniform with brown eyes and black hair emerged from the well with a large yellow backpack. "Hey, Inuyasha," she greeted. "Who are your new friends?" When the heroes gave her their attention, she gasped in astonishment. "No way! Are you guys-?"

The monk, Miroku, spoke up and asked, "Kagome, do you know this group?"

"I sure hope so," she answered. "If I'm not mistaken, these guys are the famous duelists I've seen on television." Confused, she wondered, _But they're wearing clothes from this time. Could they be ancestors of the champions of Duel Monsters?_

"So you know about us," said Kaiba. "Well, you guess correctly. My friends and I are the champions of Duel Monsters."

Emily took a step forward. "But please understand, we're from the modern era just like you. But as you can see, our clothes have changed."

"Hold on, did you come from the Bone-Eaters Well too?" Kagome asked. "But I thought Inuyasha and I were the only ones who could travel through the well."

"Apparently, you're not," said Kaiba.

"Hold on," Kagome cried. "I didn't see you guys come in before me."

Joey smiled nervously and said, "Funny you should mention that. You see, we came down the well in another world."

"Another world," Kagome and Inuyasha echoed. "So this well exists not just in this world, but another?"

"Are you saying you guys are from another world?" Inuyasha demanded.

Emily smiled nervously. "Yes, that's right." She recollects herself and clears her throat. "Sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Emily and these are my friends Yugi, Joey, Max, and Kaiba."

Miroku smiled slyly and approached Max and Emily. "My, what beautiful names for such beautiful girls." He takes their hands and continues, "Now tell me, would either of you ladies be kind as to consider bearing my children?"

Disgusted, Max and Emily pull themselves away. Max was about to strike him, but the young woman, Sango, beat her to it and hit the monk on the head.

Joey snickered and muttered, "I saw that coming."

"It's not even funny," Yugi growled. For him, it was bad enough to see Rafael flirting with Emily, but now, he refused to tolerate this behavior any longer.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. He also softly growled. Kagome sensed his troubled expression and asked, "What's the matter, Inuyasha?"

"I don't like it," he warned her. "I smell a demon among these kids." He cautiously approached the heroes and began inspecting them, starting with Yugi. He towered over him and began sniffing him.

Max rolled her eyes. "It's my scent you're picking up," she admitted.

Inuyasha scowled at her. "Seems you're not afraid to admit it. But it's not just a demon's scent that's coming from you. I don't know what else it is about you, but I don't like it."

Max smirked and said. "You talk big. You must be either really brave or really stupid for that kind of attitude."

"What're you going on about," Inuyasha asked, outraged. "You're the one with the bad attitude here!"

"You're the one picking a fight, not me," Max countered.

Inuyasha was on the verge of losing it. "Why you little," he snarled, and began charging at her.

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Kagome cried, activating the enchanted beads around his neck and forcing them to pull him down hard against the ground.

"Pathetic," Max grumbled as she witnessed Inuyasha being forced into subjugation. She turned around and began walking.

Kaiba was confused. "What was that?"

Emily gestured for Kaiba to lower himself so she could explain. She whispered in his ear, "It's the power of the Beads of Subjugation. Every time Kagome says 'sit', those beads activate and force him down."

Inuyasha saw that Max was leaving. "Hey," he called to her. "Where do you think you're going?"

She brushed her hair from her brow and answered, "I see no point in dragging this out any further. There's really no challenge in having a mutt like you for an opponent; especially a pathetic mutt being held back like a dog on a chain." She turned around and waved 'goodbye'. "But don't worry. I'll see you guys around."

The little fox demon child, Shippo, jumped on Miroku's shoulder. "Shouldn't we go after her?" He asked, concerned.

Kaiba shook his head. "Let her go. Max likes doing things her way and being on her own. And like she said, we'll run into her again eventually. So don't worry. She'll be all right."

Emily agreed, but she was still worried. "I hope so. I mean, I know Max is strong and can take care of herself and I trust her, but I still worry about her."

Kagome towered over Inuyasha. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't tried to pick a fight with her!" She scolded him.

The half-breed got back on his feet. "She started it with that cocky attitude! Besides, that girl was a demon! And there was something about her that I didn't like! Something evil and dangerous!"

Miroku had his doubts. "I didn't sense a demonic aura of a strong magnitude emanating from Max."

Inuyasha tightened his eyes. "Are you sure you weren't too enchanted by her beauty to notice?"

Sango was just about ask Miroku the same question. At the same time, she agreed with the monk. "I didn't sense anything dangerous about Max either."

Yugi and his friends didn't invite themselves to join in. They weren't ready to reveal what they knew about Max to their new friends just yet. That time was too soon. Instead, they decided to change the subject. Joey got an idea. "Why don't we just sit down and have something to eat? There's nothing like having a full mouth and a full stomach to make you feel better after a fight." He hoped his idea would make them forget about Max for a while until they were ready to learn more about her. Thankfully, everyone agreed and decided to head to the village and have lunch. Shippo and Inuyasha couldn't wait to have their fill of Kagome's treats from the modern world.


	4. Max Finds a Challenge

Max Finds a Challenge

As Max continued traveling, she came across many different demons who didn't put up much of a challenge. There were goblins, giant reptiles, rodents, and insects, wild dogs, and many malformed beasts.

She got out of the forest and stopped at a river's bank. She wasn't feeling tired, but figured it would be a good idea to rest up. "Man, the demons here are so weak," she muttered. She cupped some water into her hands and splashed it against her face. At the same time, she asked herself, "Have I always been this strong? I guess my powers have evolved a little. Then again, I don't really feel any different. Maybe I just haven't noticed." She shrugged and figured, "Not that it matters."

When she finished washing the dirt off her body and the blood from her hands, a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She thought it was Inuyasha's scent, but quickly disagreed. This scent was stronger, it was the scent of a pure demon. Max only knew one demon who could carry such a scent.

Her assumptions were confirmed when she saw the demon standing within her range. He had shining silver hair like Inuyasha's and was dressed in an aristocratic red and white kimono. He also had red marks on his cheeks patterned like scratch marks and a purple crescent mark on his forehead. This demon was Inuyasha's elder brother: Sesshomaru.

Max was the first to speak. "You must be Lord Sesshomaru."

He didn't let her know if she was right or wrong. He kept his position as he observed her. "This area is filled with the scent of blood from many demons laid to waste in these parts. Even you reek of their blood. Did you slaughter them out of sheer pleasure?"

Max got up and shrugged. "Those demons were weak and didn't put up a fight." She slyly grinned and figured. "But a mighty demon like you, one I've heard so much about, maybe you'd be worth my while."

Sesshomaru's subordinate, an imp named Jaken, was outraged. "What?! You dare to challenge my Lord?! Who do you think you are, you wench?!"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted. The imp silenced himself. "Leave us to it."

"My Lord -," he began, but Sesshomaru gave him a stern look, not wanting to repeat himself. The imp backed away, knowing that if he disobeyed, he would face severe consequences._ Is Lord Sesshomaru going to accept her challenge? Who is this young woman?_

Sesshomaru looked at Max, then focused his attention on her Cobalt Star shards. "Those jewels around your neck, are they shards of the Cobalt Star?" He asked out of curiosity.

Max was impressed with his guess. "In the short time I've spent here, you're the first to ask me. Yes, you are correct."

The dog demon slightly grinned. "I wondered when the Dark Lord would be returning to this world. But his presence is not unfamiliar to me. I have sensed it before from another demon."

Max's expression changed from pleased to shocked. "Are you telling me you came across a demon with a shard of the Cobalt Star? Who was it?"

"I think we both know the answer to that, Lady Max," he replied. It was no surprise that Sesshomaru knew about Max. She was the Dark Lord's most trusted servant and the dog demon figured that she was sent here on his behalf to covet one of his shards. Sesshomaru also suspected that Max would have an idea on who possessed the shard here since the Dark Lord's servants were connected by the shards.

Max decided to continue to match wits with the dog demon. "If I did know, I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

"I have no business quarreling with you," Sesshomaru told her. "You should be concentrating more on seeking out the demon you're looking for. Because if you're here, then that means Millennia's warriors are here as well and are likely to be trying to covet the Cobalt Star shard you seek."

From the nearby shrubs, Jaken couldn't believe what he was hearing. _The Dark Lord has returned? Millennia's chosen warriors are here as well? Is that girl really a servant to the Dark Lord? Oh, I hope Lord Sesshomaru knows what he's doing. Cobalt's power knows no bounds. _As much as Jaken trusted Sesshomaru, he also feared for his well-being, but also knew that nothing could convince Sesshomaru otherwise.

Max knew that Sesshomaru was right. Her first priority is to seek out the Cobalt Star shard of this world. But a little warm-up match never hurt either. Hopefully Sesshomaru wouldn't disappoint her. He may not have any business fighting with her, but she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. She charged in to attack from behind, but Sesshomaru turned around and struck her with his claws. Max was able to dodge, but only by so much. Her clothes ended up getting torn and her chest had light scratch marks. She wasn't fatally wounded, but she had to admit, the dog demon certainly took her by surprise. Then again, this is Sesshomaru and he never allows himself to be dealt the first attack.

Sesshomaru raised his right arm in the air and released an electric green light. He moved his arm around and used the light like a whip to strike his opponent. Max was nimble and agile, but she knew she couldn't dodge forever. This was an opportunity for her to use her fox powers. She used the power of multiplication to create duplicates. The dog demon wasn't fooled. He was able to pick up Max's scent and strike her.

Max staggered back, but recovered her coordination as she back flipped and got back on her feet. When she did, Sesshomaru used his agility to appear only inches from her and strike her in the face with his hand. Max couldn't protect herself. She lost her footing and ended up falling on her back. The dog demon placed his hand close to her face again and began releasing a toxic fume. Max was in trouble. With Sesshomaru's hand this close to her face and filled with the power of his poison claws, she was likely done for. The poison was irritating her eyes and if the dog demon attacks her by slashing her face or her throat, she likely won't survive.

"What a shame," Sesshomaru said in disappointment. "I would have hoped to see you display the Dark Lord's power. To think, his most faithful and trusted servant is about to be killed by me, Lord Sesshomaru."

Max thought this was the end of her until she heard a child's cry. "Wait, Lord Sesshomaru." The voice was coming from Rin, a young girl with black hair and brown eyes. "Please don't hurt her. I think she's had enough and she's hurt badly."

It wasn't like Rin to intervene with Sesshomaru's battles, but for her sake, the dog demon decided to grant her request and let Max go free. With the toxic fumes gone, Max could breathe again. She also returned to the edge of the river and began rinsing her eyes out.

Rin was happy that Sesshomaru let Max go. She approached her and said, "I'm glad you're all right."

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Max told her, not that she wasn't grateful.

"I just didn't want to see you get hurt," Rin replied.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called firmly. "We're going now."

"Coming," Rin said and began walking after her companions. She stopped, turned around, bowed politely, and said, "Goodbye," and resumed her path.

As Max watched her follow Sesshomaru and Jaken, she smiled and said to herself, "Cute kid." She looked at Sesshomaru as well, admitting to herself how impressed she was of his display of power, and thinking to herself about how charming she thought he was.


	5. Trust and Unity

Trust and Unity

Whenever Kagome returned from the modern era, she always remembered to bring back everyone's favorite treats that only existed back there. For Inuyasha, it was instant noodles. For Shippo, it was candy and cookies. There were other treats too like homemade lunchboxes, canned soda and lemonade, and potato chips.

Yugi, Joey, and Emily were impressed to see Kagome manage to bring back all that food on her own. Kaiba, on the other hand, was disgusted. Seeing his friends help themselves and join their new friends in eating some of the food Kagome brought made him mutter, "I feel I'm going to be sick."

Inuyasha slurped his noodles and asked, "What's wrong, Kaiba? You don't like this kind of ninja food?"

"Nah," Joey answered. "Kaiba's just one of those health nuts. The closest thing he'll eat to junk food is Emily's baked goods."

"At least her food is made from fresh ingredients," Kaiba retorted, "_real_ fresh ingredients." He helped himself to some of Emily's homemade tiramisu.

Shippo looked at his treats in shock. "You meant Kagome's ninja food isn't?"

"It's real food," Joey assured him. "It's just high in sugar and sodium content."

Emily still agreed with Kaiba. "Even I don't like eating too much of this kind of food and try to be careful with what I consume. While I like baking desserts and treats, I also like my deserts to be fresh fruits for a balanced diet."

Kaiba scoffed. "It's true what they say: You are what you eat."

Unfortunately, Inuyasha and his friends didn't understand modern metaphors. "What's that mean?" Shippo asked.

Emily decided to explain. "If you eat healthy food like fruits and vegetables, you'll be healthy. If you eat too much junk food, you'll feel sick."

That made more sense. Inuyasha and Shippo did recall the stomachaches they got from eating too much of the snacks Kagome brought with her from home.

Kagome decided to change the subject by asking Yugi, "So, Yugi, what brings you and your friends to the warring states era?"

Yugi and his friends all looked at each other. "Should we tell them?" Kaiba asked.

"I think we can trust them," said Emily.

Yugi agreed. "We're on a mission to retrieve a sacred object."

"Sacred object," Inuyasha repeated. He tensed up and wondered, "Are you after the Sacred Jewel too?"

"Sacred Jewel," Kaiba echoed. "You don't mean the _Shikon no Tama_, do you? The Jewel of the Four Souls?"

"When did you become an expert all of a sudden?" Joey asked.

"I remember reading something about it in a book when I was young," Kaiba explained. "The Sacred Jewel is said to grant one extraordinary powers. If I remember correctly from my research, the Sacred Jewel came to be after a great battle with a legendary warrior and a horde of demons. What was her name? Mido… Mido…"

"Midoriko," Sango finished for him.

"That's it, Midoriko," continued Kaiba. "It's said that she was a brave samurai and a wise priestess with unsurpassed spiritual power."

The demon slayer nodded. "You've studied your history of the Sacred Jewel and its origins very well, Kaiba. I'm impressed."

"Many humans and demons have coveted the Sacred Jewel, bringing about great bloodshed and calamity," Yugi added. "That's why it was entrusted to a priestess who would be capable of keeping the Jewel purified. Am I right?"

"That's right, Yugi," said Miroku. "Sadly, that priestess was killed 50 years ago by a terrible demon. We've been pursuing that same demon for months hoping to recover the Sacred Jewel and avenge our loved ones who've suffered and died by his hands."

"Naraku," Emily muttered.

But Inuyasha's hearing was keen and he understood what she said. "You know him? Are you after him too?"

"Yes, but not for the Sacred Jewel," she answered. "My friends and I are here to find and covet another sacred object and I have a bad feeling it may be in Naraku's possession."

Kaiba spoke up. "Time out. Who is this Naraku person?"

Inuyasha and his friends began telling the story from the beginning. Naraku was actually once a human bandit named Onigumo who was badly injured after surviving what would have been a fiery death. Kikyo, the same priestess charged with the duty of protecting the Sacred Jewel, took pity on the bandit and harbored him in a small cave. She was able to treat his wounds, but only by so much. Based on his conditions, the bandit was doomed to die.

But Onigumo would not allow himself to die. His body was useless, but his spirit still had some life in it. He was also consumed by lustful desires for Kikyo and wanted her. And when he heard about the Sacred Jewel, he wanted it too. But he couldn't get what he wanted in the state he was in. That was when Onigumo sold his body and soul to a horde of demons in exchange for their power; thus was born Naraku.

At that time, Inuyasha and Kikyo made a pact on deciding the fate of the Sacred Jewel. Like many other demons and thieves, Inuyasha wanted to use the power of the Jewel to increase his own power and become a full-fledged demon. But Kikyo would not allow Inuyasha to gain that opportunity. Every time he came to the village to steal the Jewel, Kikyo would stop him, but not kill him. Before any of them realized it at the time, Kikyo and Inuyasha had tender feelings for each other, but would not allow themselves to show it. After all, Kikyo had her duties as a priestess and had to put those first to avoid distraction and temptation. Inuyasha had lived his whole life fighting and killing to survive and did not trust easily, therefore refusing to open his heart to anybody.

When their feelings couldn't be ignored any longer, Kikyo told Inuyasha her plan. She suggested to Inuyasha that if he used the power of the Sacred Jewel to become a human instead of a demon, then the Jewel would be purified and cease to exist. And with the Jewel gone, Kikyo would be free to feel, free to love, free to be her own person. At first, Inuyasha was against the idea, but if it would mean living the rest of his life with Kikyo, then he would agree with the plan. So they acknowledged their feelings and agreed to meet the next day.

But Naraku made sure it would never happen. Disguised as Inuyasha, Naraku attacked Kikyo from behind, fatally wounding her. He also stole the Sacred Jewel from her and returned it to the village shrine. After that, Naraku disguised himself as Kikyo to deceive Inuyasha. He found him in the forest and attacked with a barrage of arrows. Outraged and betrayed, Inuyasha fled from the forest and attacked the village. He made it to the shrine and managed to grab the Sacred Jewel, but just when he was about to make his escape, Kikyo managed to return to the village with what little strength she had left and used the last of it to pin Inuyasha to a tree and place him under a sealing spell. Kikyo recovered the Jewel, but knowing she would be dead in the next minute, she entrusted the Jewel to her younger sister Kaede and demanded that the Jewel be cremated with her so no one could abuse its power. Kaede carried out her sister's last wish and burned Kikyo's body along with the Sacred Jewel.

"Fifty years have passed since then," Inuyasha concluded.

"Your story doesn't make sense," Kaiba snapped. "If this Kikyo died 50 years ago and the Sacred Jewel was burned with her, how can it exist now?"

"That's a whole other story that follows up with this one," said Kagome. "This is going to sound crazy, but…" she sets her food down and says, "I'm Kikyo's reincarnation."

Yugi and his friends were astonished to hear that.

"I'm actually still trying to grasp the concept, but it was already confirmed when the Sacred Jewel came out of my body after my first battle with a demon."

"So you're saying the Sacred Jewel manifested inside your body?" Kaiba asked, trying to make sense of the concept.

"That's right," Kagome says, looking down at her food. "It's lived inside of me before I knew it even existed."

_Just like me and my Millennium Star,_ Emily thought to herself. She didn't want to say it out loud and alarm the others.

Kagome remembered. "Yugi, you guys said you're looking for a sacred object that you think Naraku might have. If it's not the Sacred Jewel, what is it?"

Emily inhales sharply and sets her food aside. "Brace yourselves," she warned. "What we're looking for is a shard of the Cobalt Star."

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Inuyasha all gasped in shock, but Kagome was confused. "What's this Cobalt Star shard?"

"It is the remnant of an evil entity," said Miroku. "The Cobalt Star is the imprisoned form of the Dark Lord himself."

"It's said he brought evil and darkness into the world and created many monsters to do his bidding," said Sango. She faces Yugi and his friends and assumed, "If you're looking for a Cobalt Star shard, then this must mean you guys are warriors to the Great Goddess Millennia, correct?"

"Yes, we are," said Emily.

"This is crazy," Inuyasha snapped. "No one's heard about the Great Goddess or the Dark Lord since the age of the Shadow Games. Now all of a sudden, they're back?"

Sango held up her hand to stop him. "Tell me, do you have the Millennium Star?" she wondered.

At first, Emily was hesitant about revealing it, because it would mean its powers would be detected. But she trusted her new friends and showed them the Millennium Star.

Everyone looked at it in awe. "It's pretty," said Shippo.

"It's gorgeous," Kagome said, lifting her hand and reaching for it.

Emily quickly returned the Star inside her heart. "I'm sorry, but you mustn't do that. If you touch the Millennium Star, you'll get all of its powers. But if it senses any evil in you, you'll be purified."

"It's also said that if someone with an evil heart uses its powers, the Millennium Star will become corrupted and the one using it will be destroyed from the inside," said Miroku. He looks back at Emily and wonders, "Emily, if you have the Millennium Star, then you must be the Egyptian princess, is that right?"

"That's right," she answered.

Kagome's eyes widened. "You're a princess?"

She nods and explains, "After the Shadow Games came to an end and the world was saved, my mother, the queen, made a wish on the Millennium Star, so that I may live long and have a happy life. I was reborn in the modern era and a part of the Millennium Star manifested inside of me. Another half was protected by the descendants of a family who served the royal family and when the Millennium Star became whole again, I awakened as the princess and got all of its powers. Now my friends and I are on a mission to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star and restore peace to the other worlds."

"What will happen when you've collected all the shards?" Kagome asked.

"I'm afraid even we don't know the answer to that," Yugi answered.

Kagome came up with an idea. "Why don't we join groups?" Everyone looked at her in surprise. "Well, we're all going the same way, right? We're after Naraku and if he has the Cobalt Star shard you're looking for, then you guys should come with us."

Miroku considered it. "Knowing how powerful our enemy is, we will need all the allies we can get."

"And with warriors of Millennia as our allies, we may actually stand a chance against Naraku," Sango added.

Shippo liked the idea. "I want to learn more about Millennia's heroes. Besides, I like Yugi and the others."

Joey agreed. "As the saying goes: The more, the merrier."

"You guys also seem to know more about Naraku than we do," Kaiba thought, "So it might be a good idea to join forces with you."

Yugi agreed. "We won't have any idea of what we'll be up against once we confront him. But if we work together, we can stop Naraku and save this world."

Everyone looked at Inuyasha, waiting for him to speak up. He grinned and figured, "You know, maybe having warriors of Millennia as allies may not be such a bad idea. All right, we'll work together." Everyone jumped and cheered. "Just so long as you guys don't cause trouble."

"Don't worry," said Joey. "You can depend on us."

"I've always wanted to see Millennia's warriors in action, anyway," said Inuyasha. He really did. He wanted to see if Yugi and his friends were the real deal.


	6. Fun With the Foxes

Fun with the Foxes

That evening, the heroes began walking through the woods. Kagome was still feeling disappointed in herself for not committing herself to her studies. It was serious for Kagome because the term was almost over and final exams were coming and her progress would determine if the high school she applied for would accept her. The problem was she spent so much time in the feudal era that it caused her to skip school for several weeks.

Yugi and his friends offered to help. Science and mathematics were Kaiba's best skills and Emily was also good at English and reading and Yugi was the best when it came to social studies. Kagome couldn't refuse. She was grateful to have some tutors from her time period. Plus, since Yugi and his friends already finished middle school and were already in high school, it'd be all the more reason for Kagome to ask for their help.

Suddenly, Shippo was struck by a strange light and a marked leaf attached itself to his forehead. The heroes followed the direction of the light and found themselves standing in front of an inn. Looking out the window on the balcony was a group of girls insisting that the heroes stayed the night. Of course, Miroku immediately insisted that he and his friends should spend the night. His friends knew it wasn't to handle demons, but because the monk was enchanted by the girls' beauty.

It irritated Sango to see the girls surrounding Miroku and laughing gleefully. Just then, small pieces of parchment fell into the hands of the girls. They cheered because their ranks went up for their charms. Actually, what turned out to be a bunch of beautiful girls was actually a group of female fox demons.

"What just happened?" Joey asked.

"Kitsunes," Emily answered. "Such tricky creatures."

Kagome looked around. "Where's Shippo?"

The little fox demon was still outside. He met a group of fox demon boys who were a little older to him and explained that he was now part of the Fox Demon Promotion Exam. The leaf on his head was his student number, which read 77. All new students started at rank 30, which was the lowest rank, and had to use their talents and abilities as fox demons to advance to rank 1. And anyone who stayed at the inn as a guest was just someone to help the Kitsunes with their exams. Using their charms would help the students go up in their ranks.

Kagome and Joey went outside to look for Shippo. The young fox boys saw them coming and decided to use their abilities on them, hoping to increase their ranks. Shippo tried to stop them, but Inuyasha found him first. He picked him up and asked him, "Hey there, Shippo, where'd you wander off to?"

"Let me go," Shippo barked. "I don't have time to talk right now."

"What?" Inuyasha snapped. "Don't get cheeky with me, you stupid little-"

"Shut up!" Shippo yelled and used his fox magic to increase the size of his spinning top and attack Inuyasha. As he was about to resume his attempt to warn Kagome and Joey, Shippo received a parchment saying that he advanced to 25th rank.

As Joey and Kagome continued to look for Shippo, the same fox boys took on the shape of petty monsters. Joey looked in confusion and Kagome just grinned. Inuyasha quickly recovered and attacked the fox boys from behind by hitting their heads. Unfortunately, the parchments the fox boys received stated that they failed in their efforts, so they fled. When they met up with Shippo and read his parchment, they were amazed. Hearing the fox boys praise him, Shippo wondered if he could get lots of points for attacking Inuyasha. He felt a little bad for using his friends for his benefit, but he would do anything to get back at Inuyasha for always fighting with him.

Inside the inn, a monstrous figure saw Emily and began sneaking up on her. Before the monster could attack, Emily said, "Hi, Max."

The monster screamed of surprise with Max's voice. She was right. It was Max. "How'd you know it was me?"

She looked back and answered with tightened eyes, "No matter what shape you take, as long as you have your Cobalt Star shards and are nearby, I'll always know it's you. Besides, you can't even disguise your voice."

Max turned back into her true form. "Yeah, I still need to work on that." Max received a parchment, saying she failed her exam and was still at 30th rank. It couldn't be helped. Emily was Max's first target and she thought she would have fun tormenting the blonde and hoped it would help her excel in her rank. But her efforts proved her wrong.

"Come on, Max, you should know me better than that," Emily scolded.

"So I'm a little rusty in my abilities as a fox," Max admitted. "Sue me."

"And it's because you're a fox that I'd figure you'd come to a place like this," said Emily. "I guess it would help you to fine-tune your talents. In the meantime, I promised Kagome I'd help her with her studies. Please don't make too much of a nuisance of yourself." And with that, Emily left to join her friends in tutoring Kagome.

Max didn't say she would agree. That meant she wouldn't do as Emily asked. She would have as much fun as she wanted.

Joey was getting worried. "I wondered what's taking Shippo so long. He should've rejoined us."

Inuyasha told him not to worry. "He's probably just playing with his buddies."

"I suppose so," said Kaiba. "This inn is filled with Kitsunes."

Then Shippo's voice echoed in the room. "You got that right. We got you completely surrounded. Unfortunately for you, Inuyasha, I'm going to use you as a stepping stone."

Inuyasha caught Shippo's scent coming from the statue behind him and tried to attack, but the little fox child dodged and used his magic to create another statue to crush the half-breed. According to the parchment Shippo received, his rank didn't go up, but he still earned a few points for his efforts.

Fed up with these tricks, Inuyasha attacked Shippo along with the same fox boys from before. When they all started crying, Kagome punished him with her 'sit' command. It even turned out crying helped the boys to advance in their ranks.

Unsurprisingly, Miroku was still having fun with the same group of Kitsunes who were disguised as girls. Even Sango was becoming fed up with this. She took out a small sample and tossed it to the floor, releasing an intoxicating fume that was too strong for the sensitive noses of demons and animals.

Emily couldn't take it anymore. "All right, that's enough." She got in the center and said, "There's no need to be rash. These Kitsunes mean well. It's all just part of the Fox Demon Promotion Exam. Max told me so."

"Max told you?" Joey asked. "She's here too?"

"That's right," Max said tauntingly. She used her magic to spray Inuyasha with cold water to bring him back to his senses. "Hi, guys," she said cheerfully. "Miss me?"

Inuyasha shook himself dry. "All right, Max, today's the day I'm gonna kick your skinny little ass."

"I told you, Max means well," Emily said again. But Inuyasha didn't listen. He continued to chase after Max, who was dodging him playfully and tricking him with her magic.

Shippo saw what was going on and decided to divert Inuyasha's attention from Max by using the same tactic. It worked as Inuyasha started coming after him now.

As everyone went outside to stop Inuyasha from continuing to take more rash courses of action, the same fox females came out to charm Miroku again. Sango wouldn't give them the opportunity. She gave them dumplings that had been mixed with a potion that would temporarily paralyze them.

This time, Sango was the one who was deceived as the same Kitsunes disguised themselves as Miroku to embrace her. Once again, she attacked them and the demons fled happy with the points they earned.

Inuyasha finally found Shippo, but continued to fall victim to the little fox's schemes. Max told Shippo her plan that they should work together in picking on the half-breed. The little fox liked the sound of that.

As Emily watched Max's displays of fox magic, she started to become more impressed. "I never knew Max had talents like these before. I guess she wasn't able to display them often back home."

"I'd hate to put up with something like that back home," said Joey.

The Kitsunes had until dawn to keep trying to excel in rank. Unfortunately, Shippo had used up all of his gizmos in tormenting Inuyasha and all the magic Max used took up some energy. She hadn't used her abilities as a fox in such a long time, she found herself becoming exhausted. There wasn't much time left. Shippo figured there was no point in getting the points he needed to raise his rank now that he might as well own up to what he did. "I'm sorry. I was willing to risk my friendship with Inuyasha just to earn a few lousy points. I'm so ashamed. I'll never be able to look you in the eye again." And he began weeping and running off.

Inuyasha went after Shippo only to fall into a pit trap dug by Max. She and Shippo received their last pieces of parchment, saying their ranks went up. Max was now at 26th rank and Shippo was at 24th rank.

Max smiled at her friends. "Well, it's been fun, but I'm afraid I must be off."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? You're leaving already?"

"Oh, trust me, we'll meet again. Don't forget me!" And she unfolds her wings and flies off.

Emily smiled. "Just when I think I've got Max figured out, she surprises me."


	7. What's mine is not yours

What's mine is not yours

With the Fox Demon Promotion Exam behind them, the heroes could resume their journey. But Shippo had still not yet rejoined his friends. Inuyasha and Kagome went looking for him again. With no patience, Inuyasha unsheathed his sword, Tetsusaiga, and used his Windscar technique to draw him out into the open. It wasn't working. Windscar's power was being drawn in by another force nearby.

The demonic energy was being absorbed by another blade held by a demon girl who introduced herself as Mujina and asked Shippo to help her. She said she wanted the demonic energy to increase the power of her sword to defeat her opponents. Now that she had absorbed enough demonic energy, Mujina was ready to test the power of her sword. She hurled the Windscar back at Inuyasha to attack him.

Shippo couldn't believe that Mujina would attack his friends, but when he found out that she had lied about her father being killed and just wanted to increase her sword's power, he became angry. Thankfully, Mujina's attack had no effect on Inuyasha and he was able to effortlessly protect himself. It didn't matter how much demonic energy Mujina's sword had absorbed. Apparently, she wasn't skilled with a sword at all.

Mujina humbled herself, saying she deserved to be punished for taking advantage of Shippo, but the little fox's feelings changed from anger to forgiving. He wanted her to escape when she had the change, but Mujina grabbed Shippo and only agreed to let him go in exchange for Inuyasha's sword. The dog demon had enough and punched the girl in the face. When he did, Mujina actually turned out to be a male raccoon-dog demon. As if that wasn't pathetic enough, the raccoon-dog's sword was a rusty blade that easily cut in half after Inuyasha sliced it. When he did, the demonic energy that was absorbed began returning to his sword.

Inuyasha inspected the broken sword. The raccoon-dog said he called the sword 'Dhaki' and it had the limitless power to steal demonic energy. The only way to gather more information on a blade like this was to consult with a swordsmith and there was one swordsmith he knew and trusted.

Inuyasha left to seek out Totosai, a demon swordsmith who crafted weapons made from the fangs of demons. When the half-breed presented the broken blade to Totosai, the swordsmith said it was created from the scale of a demon called Ryujin. If the blade had been successfully forged, Tetsusaiga's demonic energy would have been absorbed, never to be recovered. Inuyasha knew what he had to do. He decided to seek out the swordsmith who was trying to perfectly create Dhaki.

The swordsmith turned out to be a young man named Toshu and he had his own workshop in a small village. Inuyasha and his friends weren't the only ones looking for Toshu, though. Ryujin began attacking the village looking for him. Inuyasha tried attacking Ryujin, but his shield was absorbing the demonic energy from his sword, increasing his own strength. After Ryujin absorbed enough demonic energy, he attacked by sending it back at Inuyasha. This was the opportunity the half-breed had been waiting for. Now he could use his Backlash Wave to send the demonic energy back at Ryujin and destroy him.

After Ryujin fell in defeat, Toshu finished him off with his sword so he could absorb all of his demonic energy and finally create Dhaki. This perfectly completed Dhaki was covered with green dragon scales. Consumed by the demonic energy of Dhaki, Toshu challenged Inuyasha to a battle so he could have more demonic energy for his new sword.

Inuyasha tried to reason with Toshu. Because Toshu was a human, he wouldn't be able to comprehend Dhaki's power, but the swordsman wouldn't listen. He has spent his entire life crafting blades so he could have a powerful weapon of his own. Then Toshu met Ryujin and made a bargain with him. Toshu promised Ryujin that he could create a powerful weapon for him in exchange for his demonic powers. Ryujin accepted Toshu's offer and gave him his scales to help him create Dhaki.

The battle wasn't going well for Inuyasha. Every time Tetsusaiga came into contact with Dhaki, it began losing its demonic powers little by little. Tetsusaigia was getting weaker while Dhaki was getting stronger. As if that wasn't bad enough, Dhaki's demonic energy was consuming Toshu little by little as well. His human body was becoming reptilian-like as his skin was turning green with scales.

Inuyasha had to keep Dhaki from making contact with Tetsusaiga before Totosai's warning would be realized. Inuyasha used the energy itself to force Toshu back. Toshu hurled the demonic energy back at Inuyasha, giving the half-demon the opportunity to use the Backlash Wave. With the overload of demonic energy, a crack formed on Dhaki and Toshu was completely consumed by its power. Everyone assumed that Dhaki wanted to avoid destruction by transferring all the damage it took in to Toshu and that was why the mutated swordsmith evaporated.

After Toshu was defeated, not only was Tetsusaiga restored to its original condition, but it also gained Dhaki's power and was covered with green dragon scales.

There was no time for Inuyasha and his friends to rest on their laurels, however. The sound of shouting directed everyone's attention to two wolf demons named Ginta and Hikaku. They were the right hand soldiers of their leader Koga. Just hearing Koga's name was enough to make Inuyasha's blood boil. He and the wolf did not get along with each other for their demon pride and because Koga was always flirtatious with Kagome and deemed Inuyasha pathetic. Still, whatever trouble Koga got himself into, Inuyasha and his friends were bound to get involved. So the heroes followed Ginta and Hikaku.

Kagome revealed that Koga had two shards of the Sacred Jewel, one in each leg, and could sense that he was close by. She sensed two more Jewel shards, but didn't know who they belonged to. The only way to find out was to find Koga.

The heroes found Koga and two young wolf boys being attacked by a malformed creature named Moryomaru, created from the flesh and spirit essence of many demons. They came to the rescue and set the wolves free from Moryomaru's clutches.

As usual, Koga would not thank Inuyasha for his help, but angrily scold him for interfering. "What are you doing here, mutt?"

Rather than answer, Inuyasha kept his attention on Moryomaru. "You swallowed something that didn't belong to you again, didn't you?" He asked, noticing how much his body had changed since their last encounter.

It was true. Moryomaru devoured a demon with a shell that was impenetrable, giving him fortress-like armor. Not even Inuyasha's Adamant Barrage could damage it. Instead, Moryomaru used its demonic energy to create a diamond-like arm.

"What were you thinking, you moron?" Koga yelled.

"Last time I checked, I was saving your neck," Inuyasha remarked.

Emily got an idea. If demonic energy only increased Moryomaru's power, maybe her magic would do the opposite. As Moryomaru attacked Inuyasha and Koga, she attacked with her Lucent Beam. It worked. She was able to inflict some damage because her magic wasn't demonic. With Moryomaru weakened, Inuyasha decided to take another shot with his new technique. He attacked Moryomaru with the Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga, but Moryomaru's demonic energy was proving to be too much. He had devoured so many strong demons and was made up of their spirit energy as well.

"We can't just stand here," said Kaiba. "Let's help."

Kagome told everyone to wait. She could sense a shard of the Sacred Jewel deep within Moryomaru's diamond-like arm. She fired her sacred arrow, hoping to hit its mark. It was no use. Moryomaru's armor was too strong to penetrate. But it did manage to release the adamant spears on his shoulders. That gave Inuyasha the chance he needed to absorb more of his demonic energy. Koga attacked with his Goraishi claws. After that, Inuyasha and Koga attacked the same wound together.

"Nice work, you guys," Emily cheered. "Now attack him in the same spot again. I think I can finish him off with a clear shot at his wound."

Inuyasha liked the sound of that. "Your magic did manage to do the trick last time. It's worth a shot."

"Hey, mutt, who is she anyway?" Koga asked. "I've never seen her traveling with you before."

"That's not your concern right now," Inuyasha barked. So the two demons attacked together like Emily told them to. The problem was Tetsusaiga was absorbing too much demonic energy to take in anymore, and it was becoming harder for Inuyasha to manage. Moryomaru was also concealed by a miasma.

"You okay, pup," Koga asked with mock concern. When the miasma cleared, everyone saw that Moryomaru was gone.

Standing in his place was another demon who introduced himself as Byakuya. "I must say, that Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga is most impressive. That was also an impressive display from one of Millennia's warriors. It's no wonder Moryomaru had to run away with his tail between his legs."

Koga's eyes widened. "Millennia's warriors? Are you serious?" he asked looking at Emily. "You're really one of her warriors?" Even Ginta and Hikaku were surprised to hear that.

Everyone steadied themselves, but Byakuya said he meant no harm. "Relax, my role is merely to observe, nothing more." The flower in his hand turned into an origami crane and he fled from the site riding on it.

"Who the hell was that?" Kaiba asked.

"The latest incarnation of Naraku," Koga explained.

"Incarnation?" Kaiba echoed.

"Meaning he was created from Naraku's flesh," Emily clarified as she was healing Inuyasha's wounds. "I also bet he wasn't the first."

"You're right," said Miroku. "There have been many others that we've encountered in the past. We've been able to defeat most of them, but now it seems we have one more to deal with."

Koga was brushing off his wounds. "I must admit, for once, I'm impressed. I never thought I'd live to meet warriors of the Great Goddess herself. At the same time, it's kind of pathetic that the mutt would be reduced to having to depend on you guys for help. I guess he's not so powerful after all."

"We need his help as much as he needs ours," Joey barked.

"There's nothing wrong with us working together," said Yugi. Then he got an idea. "Hey, Koga, why don't you and your friends join our group? I mean, you're after Naraku too, right?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Koga replied. "Unlike you guys, I can't hang around the pup for too long. Makes me sick if you know what I mean."

Inuyasha was still a little out of it, but he could still hear Koga's comments. He even agreed that he felt the same way.

Kaiba decided to change the subject. "We shouldn't have let Byakuya go. If he's a servant to Naraku, he'll tell him we're here."

"I think he already knows," Emily said as she finished healing Inuyasha. If he really has the Cobalt Star shard she and her friends came here to acquire, then he must have sensed her tapping into her power some time now.

Koga told Ginta and Hikaku to take the two wolf children Shintaro and Kai someplace safe. Although the Jewel shards in his legs had increased his agility and worked well for him in the past, they were now acting according to the will of Midoriko, making it difficult for him to move around. Now there's no telling when the Jewel shards will render his legs immobile.

This wasn't goodbye. Like the heroes, Koga had a score to settle with Naraku. It was him who slaughtered his comrades after an attack that took place months ago. Since then, the wolf has vowed to avenge his comrades and has been in pursuit of Naraku. So of course, their paths would be crossing again sooner than anyone thought.


	8. Seeing what can't be seen

Seeing what can't be seen

After hearing about Inuyasha's recent battle, Totosai came to see him and inspect Tetsusaiga. It impressed the swordsmith that the sword was now capable of stealing demonic energy, but didn't like how the extent of its power was being used when he saw that Inuyasha's palms had been severely burned. Of course, being a half-demon, he didn't have the same level of resistance to demonic power just like his father, the Great Dog Demon. That was why it was becoming painful for Inuyasha to withstand.

Totosai advised Inuyasha to seek out the Great Holy Demon Spirit. He said he was an old hermit who would be able to give Inuyasha the necessary training he would need to handle the Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga.

The heroes came to a dwelling under a bridge in a small village. When they entered, their surroundings looked like an elegant courtyard. Their attention was directed to a cry for help. The cry belonged to an old man whose body was thin and light as cloth. He was hanging from a tree branch trying to avoid being carried by the wind. Inuyasha caught him and brought him back to the hut.

"So you're Inuyasha," said the old man. "Well then, I shall train you well." He paused for a minute, then added, "At least, that's what I'd like to say, but I can't. Please leave."

"What!?" Inuyasha shouted. He was about to wring him until Kagome shouted her 'sit' command, activating the Beads of Subjugation.

The Great Holy Demon Spirit explained that just last night, when he was about to meditate, a demon attacked him, stole his internal organs, and fled. Because of that, his power had weakened.

Sensing an evil force, Sango's two-tailed nekomata, Kirara, arched her back and began growling. When everyone left the residence and stepped outside, they saw demons. Actually, what looked like various demons was actually the same villagers everyone passed by earlier. The Great Holy Demon Spirit warned the heroes that the villagers had taken on the shape of demons because of the demonic power emanating from his organs. This meant that the demon had to still be in the village.

To keep Inuyasha from doing anything rash and ending up causing harm, the hermit cast a spell on Tetsusaiga, trapping the blade in its sheath and keeping Inuyasha from drawing it.

Apparently, the task was starting to become harder with every turn. It turned out that there were some real demons in the village. Although Inuyasha wasn't able to draw his sword, he still had his brute strength. Still, neither demon was the culprit they were looking for. So the curse got heavier because Inuyasha attacked innocent demons and some villagers who were trying to stop him.

A village boy who still maintained the shape of the human helped the heroes escape from the villagers by bringing them into his house. The boy said that he had been hiding since he returned to his house after bringing back medicine for his ill mother. His mother turned out to be a snake demon and she was emanating a demonic power similar to the hermit's internal organs.

Although they found the demon they were looking for, Inuyasha's sword remained bound to its sheathe. That was when a new question arose. The Great Holy Demon Spirit asked Inuyasha, "Do you need your sword or do you want it?"

"What's the difference?" Joey asked.

"Forget it," said Kaiba. He lifted his staff, but before he could cast a spell, he got warped away from the residence. The same thing happened to Sango and Miroku.

Inuyasha tried again to draw his sword, but once again, his hands got burned. Now it was clear to him. He wanted to draw his sword, but the sword did not want to be drawn. He tried to use his Iron Reaver Soul Stealer attack to slash the snake demon, but she quickly recovered.

"You can't just slash it," said the hermit. "Find the demon vortex."

"Demon vortex," Joey echoed. "What's that?"

The snake demon wasn't going to allow the Great Holy Demon Spirit to explain, so she warped him away along with Joey, Shippo, and Kirara. She coiled around Inuyasha and began tightening her grip on him. Yugi drew his sword, but before he could strike, he and the girls got caught in the claws of the same boy who helped them earlier. It turned out he was a demon in disguise.

As Inuyasha struggled to break free, he saw spirals of demonic energy surrounding him and the snake demon. He wondered if these were demon vortexes like the one the hermit was talking about. The problem was there were so many and only one of them was the real one. They looked the same, but one actually smelled different. Inuyasha wounded himself and used his Blades of Blood technique to create red blades to strike the snake demon. She lost her grip, allowing Inuyasha to slip past her and strike the demon vortex and finish her off.

"Yugi, Emily, Kagome, are you guys all right?" Inuyasha asked. Without waiting for an answer, he looked down at his feet and saw a case of incense, the same smell as the demon vortex. He knew that the real demon was still alive because the demonic energy hadn't faded and the villagers still looked like demons.

As they were getting closer to the hermit's residence, the scent of demonic energy was getting stronger. When they did, they saw that the courtyard had looked eerie with thorns and dark skies. The hermit had also been mangled by another demon that looked like a large ox. He was the one who really possessed the Great Holy Demon Spirit's internal organs and he was also aware of Tetsusaiga's power to steal demonic energy.

Inuyasha was angry to hear how the Great Holy Demon Spirit had been attacked and his power had been abused all for the cause of preventing him from perfecting his new technique. But when he said he would not allow the hermit to be sacrificed in vain and declared the seal would break, it did. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath and it took on the form of Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga.

He was about to strike at what he thought was the real demon vortex, but it turned out to be a backfire of demonic energy. When Inuyasha slashed at the ox demon's body, an overwhelming fume was released. It smelled just like the demonic energy from before, but Inuyasha smelled something else not too far away. The real demon vortex was with the Great Holy Demon Spirit. Relying on his nose as well as his eyes, Inuyasha manages to find the demon vortex and cut through it, destroying the ox demon.

The courtyard became beautiful again as they sky was bright and the thorns turned back into flowers. Even Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Joey, Kaiba, and Kirara had returned. Also, the Great Holy Demon Spirit was back to normal as well as he was no longer thin and light.

The truth was, his internal organs were never really stolen. The ox and snake demons were also part of the illusion. It was all part of training Inuyasha to find demonic energy by enhancing his senses. "In the illusionary world that I created as part of my backdrop for your training, you were constantly exposed to demonic energy. And your eyes were quickly trained to spot demon vortexes."

"Why did you shackle his sword?" Emily asked.

"I arranged for it to snap if it were to be drawn unnecessarily," the hermit answered. "But the real purpose of all of this was to teach you how to use the Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga," he told Inuyasha as he faced him directly. "Tetsusaiga is not meant to steal demonic energy, rather it is meant to cut through it."

When Inuyasha was asked why he cut through the last demon vortex, he answered that it was because he had to end the fight quickly because Tetsusaiga was cracking. What really mattered was that Inuyasha and his sword were connected and now with the added power of the Great Holy Demon Spirit's demonic energy, he can cut through demon vortexes without difficulty.


	9. Steal and Snare

Steal and Snare

The heroes were now standing before a tree. According to the villagers, it was actually a demonic tree named Yomeiju and it devoured humans and demons alike. 50 years ago, a priestess was able to seal the demon tree's power, but now the seal has begun to awaken. The villagers are afraid to get anywhere near the tree now that it's begun to devour living things again.

"There sure are a lot of new leaves on it," Shippo observed.

"Then it's true," mused Kaiba. "It's beginning to revitalize."

As Kagome looked closely at the tree, she saw a shard of the Sacred Jewel. She and the others assumed that this was all the cause of Naraku since he possessed the nearly completed Shikon Jewel.

Emily felt a strong tingle in her head. "I sense a Cobalt Star shard."

"Really?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, but its power is stronger than any I've felt before," she warned.

A cloud of miasma formed between Yomeiju and the heroes. When it cleared, a dark-haired man with demon-like armor and red eyes appeared. It was Naraku, the demon they had been pursuing. "Heroes of Millennia, at last we meet."

This confirmed everyone's suspicions. Naraku did have the Cobalt Star shard they came to acquire and he had been waiting to meet Yugi and his friends.

"Inuyasha, you and your friends must be desperate to have to enlist the help of the Heroes of Millennia," Naraku taunted.

"Well, it's not like I really asked them to help," Inuyasha barked. "They just insisted."

"Hey," Joey cried.

"Well, in either case, I'm delighted," said Naraku. "I knew eventually that one day the young princess and her friends would come to our world and now here they are. I've waited a long time planning carefully for our encounter. You may try to attack me if you like, but it will do you no good. My heart isn't with me at the moment."

"What does he mean?" Kaiba asked.

"Naraku cast his heart outside his body," Miroku explained. "Because of that, we can't kill him without attacking his heart."

Yomeiju began snaring Naraku with his branches, but Naraku also had the ability to devour demons to increase his own power. By simply touching the demon tree, Naraku began consuming it. When he did, he began to take his leave.

"What was that about?" Joey wondered.

"He didn't come to fight us," Yugi observed. "He just wanted to awaken the tree so he could steal its powers. But why?"

"Let's go," Emily said as she began unfolding her wings. "If he gets further away, I won't be able to sense his Cobalt Star shard."

As Kagome saw Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba unfold their wings, she was surprised. "No way, you guys can fly?"

"Are you guys really humans?" Shippo asked.

"Don't be stupid, of course they're humans," said Inuyasha. "Still, humans can't fly. Is it another one of Millennia's powers offered to you?"

"Never mind that, let's just move," Kaiba said impatiently.

As they continued their pursuit, the heroes knew they were getting closer because the air was starting to become foul. They stayed on higher ground to avoid contact with the miasma at the bottom of the ravine.

In the air, there was a battle going on between Naraku and Moryomaru. It seemed that each one was trying to devour the other. Every time Naraku was attacked, his flesh reformed into something new, but Moryomaru still managed to contain and devour him, much to everyone's horror.

Just then, Koga arrived. Moryomaru tried to attack, but Koga was able to evade it. The problem for Koga was his Goraishi wasn't protecting him as much now that Moryomaru had gained new abilities. Emily and Inuyasha hurried to help Koga by luring Moryomaru to the bottom of the ravine. At that moment, Kagome sensed another shard of the Sacred Jewel and alerted Sango that her younger brother Kohaku was nearby. Yugi decided to go with them.

As planned, Koga led Moryomaru to the bottom of the ravine. Emily attacked from above with her Lucent Beam spell, wounding him. Inuyasha called upon the power of his Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga, but couldn't find a demon vortex and only ended striking the wound.

"What are you two doing?" Koga asked Inuyasha and Emily. "You were supposed to finish him off!"

"Shut up and keep moving," Inuyasha barked.

"Cut me some slack," Emily whined. "My magic doesn't kill my enemies after the first attack."

"Well, it's obvious I can't count on the pup," Koga retorted. "I guess I can't count on Millennia's warriors either."

Moryomaru stretched out his tentacles to reach for Koga. Once again, the wolf demon's Goraishi failed to cut through them. He was still able to dodge and once again, he and Inuyasha and Emily were able to strike the same wound together.

Inuyahsa saw Moryomaru's tentacles coming. He grabbed Emily by her hair and pulled her away. He also punched Koga in the face. He didn't mean to be aggressive. He just didn't want them to be devoured. Emily was able to fly away, but Koga began to be held back again by Midoriko and ended up getting ensnared by the tentacles.

Sango and Kagome rode on Kirara with Yugi flying next to them. They found Kohaku and who would have thought that he would be travelling with Kikyo? "Kikyo, you intend to use Kohaku's Jewel shard, don't you?" Kagome asked her.

"There must be another way," Sango pleaded to her brother. "You don't have to do this."

But the lad had already made up his mind. Even though Kikyo wished the same, she said this was the only way to purify the Sacred Jewel.

"He's my brother," said Sango. "You can't expect me to just watch him die."

"There's no time," Kikyo said firmly. "Stand aside."

Sango refused. "You'll have to get past me."

Kikyo turned her attention to Kagome. "Kagome, I'm sure you can sense it too. As we speak, Koga's shards are being drawn into Naraku."

"That's why we're here," said Kagome. "Please, Kikyo, just wait a little while longer."

"Waiting is not an option," the priestess said again.

"But Inuyasha has been making himself stronger so he can defeat Naraku before you do," Kagome protested. "Even the Heroes of Millennia have come to help. I believe they can. All of our efforts have to count for something, don't they?"

Kikyo looked at Yugi, but said nothing. Kagome continued to beg Kikyo to wait. She also asked Yugi and Sango to stay behind and keep them from taking any action until she would return. Riding on Kirara, Kagome returned to help the others.

Emily continued using her magic to attack Moryomaru, hoping to set the demons free from his grasp. At the same time, Inuyasha combined the power of his Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga with Koga's Goraishi to strike the same wound, getting them closer to the demon's heart which also happened to be Naraku's heart. But striking the wound ended up releasing a powerful miasma, intoxicating the demons. Combining her Remedy spell with her wind magic, Emily was able to create a mist capable of purifying the miasma. Inuyasha broke free, but Koga was still snared.

As Moryomaru began fleeing, Kagome appeared. Inuyasha began riding on Kirara with her while Emily was flying beside them. In their pursuit, Kagome noticed that the Sacred Jewel had not yet been in Moryomaru's complete possession. At the same time, Emily still sensed the Cobalt Star shard as well. Was Naraku still alive inside of him? In a manner of speaking, yes. Moryomaru's heart was also Naraku's heart, meaning Naraku himself was alive. And to everyone's shock, his heart was trying to leave Moryomaru's body. But it wasn't what it seemed. It turned out to be an infant surrounded by a barrier that was being penetrated by tendrils. The tendrils also looked like the ones Yomeiju had. Inuyasha and the girls wondered, is this why Naraku devoured the demon tree earlier?

From inside Moryomaru, Naraku saw the heroes coming and attacked them. Also, Moryomaru shattered like the armor he was and Naraku emerged with his body covered in adamant. He also still had Koga in his grasp. Seeing this, Kagome begged Emily to take her close enough to them. With Kirara injured from the attack, she had no choice. Emily carried Kagome in her arms and began flying towards Naraku.

When the girls got close enough, Kagome fired her arrow, hoping to strike the spot where Koga was trapped. But the adamant was too strong for her arrow and deflected it. The arrow itself was deflected, but its spiritual power still made contact with Koga's Jewel shards. With the power of the Jewel shards and the protection of his ancestors from within the Goraishi, Koga was able to break free and strike at the barrier protecting Naraku's heart.

When Koga broke free from Naraku and he and the girls got far away enough, Miroku unveiled his right hand, unleashing its curse. A strong wind began pulling everything towards him. Naraku resisted and Miroku only ended up drawing in the adamant spears and miasma. "Naraku, I will sever the ties that bind us!"

"Miroku, no," Sango cried, "he'll kill you!" Fearful of his life, she begged him again to stop. "Stop before it's too late!"

He wouldn't. He knew the danger he was putting himself in, but he wasn't afraid. It wasn't about pride or revenge for the curse anymore, but to save those he cared about, including the demon slayer he loved dearly. The miasma was hurting him, but he refused to stop, even as blood began seeping from his eyes and mouth. It was becoming too much for his friends, even for Sango to bear. But he kept going, hoping to at least get Naraku to lose his grip on his heart. Instead, the infant only managed to lose his grip on the blue sphere that had the power to conceal his demonic aura. When he did, Miroku coughed up more blood.

Finally, Inuyasha stopped the monk and helped him to contain the power in his hand. This was gratifying for Naraku. "You're as naïve as ever, Inuyasha. He would have sucked in my heart if you had let him, but you stopped him and for that, I thank you." And he vanished within the miasma. "We'll meet again as well, Heroes of Millennia."

Rather than worry about Naraku's disappearance, everyone surrounded the weak monk. Kaiba removed his clothes covering the upper part of his body. "Jesus," he murmured. He had never seen anything like this. "If he had kept this up, the miasma would have reached his heart. I think it's still trying to."

"Emily, do you think you can heal him?" Yugi asked her.

She wasn't sure. "I've never dealt with such a high level of toxicity like this before, but I'll try." She gently placed her hands close to his chest and her eyes began glowing with a blue light.

"You can use healing magic?" Kagome asked.

"That's Remedy," Yugi explained. "It's a spell based on the water element that can heal burns and poisonings. But I can't guarantee it'll completely cure the poison in Miroku's body. Like she said, she's never had to treat so much poison before."

"Besides, a body that has taken this much miasma is never much likely to be fully restored," said Kikyo. "Nonetheless, I shall try to help the princess by attempting to purify the miasma. That should make it a little easy for her." So she got down on her knees and began using her spiritual power to help treat the miasma. While Emily was using Remedy to treat most of the miasma, Kikyo was transferring it to her own body so that her spiritual power would purify it. And since the blonde and the priestess were working together, it wouldn't be too harmful to either of them.

Yugi had mixed feelings about this. "It's peculiar how you would use your power to save Miroku, yet-"

"Yet I would remain to hold Kohaku's life in my hands," Kikyo finished for him. "If someone can be saved, I will try to save them. I am also aware that you have a task for being here in this world. Know that it changes nothing, not even how you will all fare against Naraku. Being warriors of the Great Goddess Millennia does not mean you have won the battle against him."

"We're aware of that," said Kaiba.

"We still have to try," said Yugi. Everyone else agreed.


	10. A Brother's Heart

A Brother's Heart

It was hard for Sango to relax after what Miroku had put himself through. Kaiba looked at Sango as she was trying to keep still, then at Miroku, then at Kohaku. He felt like he understood the meaning of all this. He approached her and gently called her name. "Sango." The demon slayer gave him her attention. "I can't explain it, but Miroku's going to come through this."

Sango wanted desperately to believe him. This wasn't the first time Miroku risked his life for her, so why was she filled with doubt? Was what happened today really any different from what happened in the past? She didn't want Kaiba to sense her doubt, so she told him she agreed. "I know you're right."

Kaiba smiled. "You really care about the monk, don't you? You know he can be stubborn and proud, but aren't we all? The point is, that's actually a good thing. It means he really cares about you too. What he did today, he did for you."

"Do you really think so?" Sango asked.

The brunette lad nodded. "Miroku told me about your brother. Naraku implanted a shard of the Sacred Jewel in his back to sustain what little life force he has left in him. To remove the Jewel shard would kill Kohaku."

That wasn't Sango's only concern. She also knew that Naraku would be able to manipulate Kohaku through the Sacred Jewel so long as it was defiled. She assumed that was why her brother was travelling with Kikyo, so she could keep it pure with her spiritual power and keep Naraku from controlling him. "I can't bear the thought of Kikyo using Kohaku's Jewel shard to purify Naraku; not if it means ending Kohaku's life."

Kaiba didn't want to give Sango false hope, but he looked at Emily, wondering if she knew a spell that could save Kohaku if the shard should be removed from his body. Then he also wondered, maybe such magic is prohibited. If Kohaku's life was already spent, it might be against the laws that balance life and death to use that kind of magic.

But the brunette lad didn't like seeing Sango have to suffer this way. He had been in Sango's place, though his situations weren't exactly the same. Finally, he knew what to say. "I understand how you feel. It's upsetting and agonizing knowing your little brother's life rests in someone's hands and you feel helpless when he's turned against you."

Sango was intrigued to hear that. "Has that happened to you before, Kaiba?"

It did. He told Sango of the many times his brother Mokuba had been used against him by their enemies. How Pegasus kept him prisoner for his plans to take over KaibaCorp, how their stepbrother Noah manipulated Mokuba by convincing him that his older brother hated him and would only use and betray him. Kaiba was still disgusted by those memories, but it helped him to help Sango understand.

In many ways, Sango and Kaiba were alike. They both had a little brother who was each other's only family left and their brothers had both been used against them. Of course, it's still like that with Kohaku now, but Sango and Kaiba still hope that it won't last. Kaiba was able to save his brother and he had hope and confidence that Sango would be able to save hers. He even thought that maybe when this is over, Mokuba and Kohaku can meet and even become friends. Sango liked the sound of that.

She turned her attention back at the monk and saw Kikyo and Emily continue healing his body. Kohaku wasn't the only person who meant everything to her. As Kaiba followed her gaze, he wondered out loud, "He did it for you, you know."

"He always does and that's why I'm always so scared for him," said Sango.

"Then you must know why," Kaiba said, looking at her. "I think I do." To explain what he means, he tells her, "Miroku knew you were afraid for your brother's life. He thought if he could hold on enough just to get Naraku's heart and destroy it, then Naraku would be gone and Kikyo wouldn't have to use his Jewel shard."

That was what Sango thought. Kaiba wasn't finished though. "But I don't think things would have turned out like any of us would have hoped," he continued. "He still had most of the Sacred Jewel and the Cobalt Star shard. If Kikyo had recovered the Jewel, she still would have had to use Kohaku's pure shard to purify it."

Listening to Kaiba's words, Sango speaks up and tells him, "What you're saying makes a lot of sense," she told him. "That means…"

"Kohaku's life would have still been in jeopardy," Kaiba finished for her. "And Miroku still would have died too." He paused, then continued, "I know about his situation too, about the curse in his right hand. His wind tunnel pulls everything into a dark void and destroys it. But whenever it expands, it shortens his life. If he uses it any more than he has to like this, he'll be destroyed by his own power. That's why he's been after Naraku from the beginning, isn't it?"

The demon slayer nods. "Miroku knows that if Naraku can be destroyed, the curse on his hand will be lifted and he can live like an ordinary man for the first time in his life."

When Kaiba heard Sango say that, he knew that meant that Miroku was born with his curse. He had no idea how limited his life was.

He looked down and saw Kirara rubbing herself against his leg. "Kirara," he said, stroking her fur. He held her in his lap as he continued petting her. "You know, Sango, I knew another nekomata whose name was also Kirara, except her eyes were blue."

"Really," she asked.

"Yeah, but that was back in the age of the Shadow Games when the Egyptian kingdom was under the rule and protection of the Children of Millennia," he answered.

"The time of your ancestors," Sango remembered. "Was one of the Children of Millennia companions with this Kirara?"

The brunette's expression turned into one of sadness. "Her name was Kisara. To answer your question, yes, she was one of the Children of Millennia. She was also known as the hero of light."

"I think I may have heard of her," Sango said. "There was a legend that her light protected her friends and loved ones from the Dark Lord's evil. It was in the form of a white dragon with blue eyes."

Kaiba told her she was accurate. "Kisara was frail and gentle, yet her power was incredibly strong. She was also unselfish and dignified. Her soul was pure and devoted. I guess that was why she represented the element of light. Now looking at our friend Kirara makes me think of Kisara and her Kirara."

"Does that make you sad?" Sango asked.

"Not really," Kaiba replied. "Think about it, Kisara represented the element of light. Wherever you look, there's light everywhere that can't be destroyed. It may be gone for a short time, but it comes back again. I also believe that light is like a soul or spirit protecting us from the dark, maybe even the soul of a loved one. For me, sometimes I think of Kisara as that light. For you, it could be Miroku or Kohaku." He sets his hand on her shoulder. "You'll never really be without either of them, Sango. Just look for them wherever there is light."

As Sango was thinking about was Kaiba was saying, she wanted to agree with him that no matter what happens, she'll always have Kohaku and Miroku and they'll always be her light in the face of darkness.

Kikyo and Emily finished healing Miroku, but he was still weak from the battle. Some small amounts of miasma remained, but they were able to stop it from spreading and reaching his heart. Emily knew that it was likely that something like this would happen again and Kikyo may not be around to help. Knowing that, she had to make herself stronger, but she wasn't sure how.

Kikyo warned her of the same thing. "Princess Emily, as you already know, your power isn't unlimited. I understand you've never faced a challenge like this before and that is why it has caused you to spend your energy."

"I know you're right," Emily said in acknowledgement. "I need training."

"In that case, it makes no difference that you and your friends are here," said Kikyo. "The level of your magic will not match Naraku's demonic powers now. If Millennia's power cannot defeat him, then the Sacred Jewel may be the only thing that can."

"I know I can increase my magic powers," Emily protested.

"Will you be willing to sacrifice yourself to use the Millennium Star?" Kikyo asked. Emily silenced herself in response to her firm tone. "You have an objective, Princess, not just in this world, but in the other worlds. If you use the Millennium Star only to end up dying, how can you guarantee that you'll succeed? Naraku and the Sacred Jewel must be purified, but to abandon your mission of acquiring the rest of the shards of the Cobalt Star is no resolve for that."

"I used the Millennium Star before," said Emily. "I'll do it again if I have to."

"Before you can, you must strengthen yourself," Kikyo advised. "How you can is up to you." With that, Kikyo began leaving into the night.

Inuyasha saw Kohaku leaving with Kikyo. "Kikyo, look after him."

"I'll do my best," she promised. Against Naraku, their best was all everyone could afford; especially the priestess. In the condition she's in, it's likely she doesn't have much long in this world.

Emily stood next to Inuyasha. "I'm worried," she said softly.

"Me too," he said in agreement. "I guess all we can do is hope."

The blonde looked down. "She told me I didn't stand a chance despite having Millennia's power. She was right."

Inuyasha didn't want to say anything that would hurt Emily's feelings, but he had to be honest. "I did kind of expect more from you, but after witnessing your displays back there, I guess you're not strong enough."

Emily wasn't offended. "I know. I thought I had already surpassed my mother in strength, but I guess it doesn't really matter because I'm still only half magic."

"Half magic?" Inuyasha repeated.

"Yeah, my father didn't possess the same magical qualities as my mother," Emily explained. "Other than that, I haven't really been using my magic powers as often as I should be, so it's reasonable that I wouldn't be strong against my enemies now."

Inuyasha had no idea. This meant that he and Emily were alike. They were both half and half and they both needed to become stronger against their enemies. He couldn't bring himself to say that out loud, however. Instead, he suggested, "Maybe you're just relying too much on Millennia's power to rely on your own strength." He looks at his sheathed sword at his waist. "I ought to know. That's how I am with Tetsusaiga."

She hadn't thought of that before. Maybe she had been relying on Millennia's power too much to realize the size of her own strength. If that's the case, then it's not physical strength she needs to increase, but inner strength. How, she will have to discover on her own. After all, no one else can really help you in discovering how to tap into your true power. It's something you have to discover on your own.

Emily smiles and tells the half-breed, "Inuyasha, let's get strong together."

He liked the sound of that. He smiles back, pats her shoulder, and says in agreement, "You bet."


	11. The Mausoleum of Mt Azusa

The Mausoleum of Mt. Azusa

The following day came with a terrible occurrence. Kagome saw large amounts of spider's silk near the mountains. On their way, they stopped near a village. Coincidentally enough, Kikyo and Kohaku stopped at the same village not long before. One villager said she had suddenly collapsed and disappeared. Inuyasha assumed she was attacked and taken by Naraku and went off on his own to track her down.

He found her in a small shrine weakened by the power of the spider threads. "Inuyasha," Kikyo said weakly, "Naraku knows of my plans to attempt to purify him and the Shikon Jewel together."

Inuyasha tried to cut the threads with his Tetsusaiga, but the threads only ended up trapping him too. Just outside the shrine, the rest of the heroes made it. However, Kagome was the only one who could see the threads. She wasn't going to allow that to stop her from trying to help Inuyasha and Kikyo. She was able to purify the threads outside the shrine, but the threads inside caught her and reeled her in. The others tried to charge in, but were forced back by a barrier. Unconscious, Kagome started seeing scenes of the time when Kikyo stopped Inuyasha and sealed him to a tree. Her heart began to hurt like she felt their sorrowful love for each other.

When Kagome came to, she saw herself with Inuyasha and Kikyo. She also noticed that there weren't any more threads, meaning Naraku did not need them anymore. Looking at Kikyo, Kagome noticed a wound on her neck. The priestess said it was because of Naraku's miasma and coming into contact with the threads caused it to spread and wound her. Kagome offered to purify it, but Kikyo said it wouldn't work twice and that the only method was for Kagome to use her bow to strike Kikyo with her arrow. But the moment Kagome touched the bow, its string snapped. To Kikyo, this was because Kagome was also contaminated by Naraku by coming into contact with the threads.

It all started coming clear to Kikyo. Naraku created these threads to try and separate Kikyo from Kohaku so she couldn't purify his Jewel shard, then he captured her to lure Inuyasha here, and when Kagome became involved, Naraku decided to plant negative feelings towards Inuyasha and Kikyo inside her heart. It was all to keep Kagome from cleansing Naraku's miasma from Kikyo's body.

Kagome wouldn't let Kikyo give up. She asked her if there was another way. Kikyo told her of a different solution. Kagome listened to Kikyo's instructions. She must head to the mausoleum of Mt. Azusa. However, if in her heart, Kagome does not truly wish to save Kikyo, she won't be able to enter. That was the priestess' warning. Not only did Kagome feel bitter, she also felt like every time she felt compelled to help Kikyo, the priestess was testing her. In either case, now was not the time for bitter feelings. Kagome had to be strong.

Inuyasha managed to bring down the barrier, allowing him and Kagome to leave the shrine. Shippo assumed that based on Inuyasha's gloomy expression, he got in trouble for upsetting Kagome for being with Kikyo. Overcome with bitterness and jealousy, Kagome told Inuyasha to stay with Kikyo. She knew how much the priestess meant to the half-breed, but she couldn't help but feel bitter about it because she had feelings for him too.

After traveling ten leagues east according to Kikyo's instructions, Kagome and the others finally made it. Now Kagome had to climb the stairs to reach the mausoleum. She was able to make it halfway up the stairwell with everyone's help, but when she did, she noticed that her friends weren't with her anymore. Standing in front of her was a pale figure with white hair and no face. It was the guardian spirit of Mt. Azusa. It had the ability to reflect what was in the heart of whoever came across the spirit. Now the guardian spirit has taken on Kikyo's shape.

When the guardian spirit took Kagome inside the mausoleum, it presented her with a new bow. "Now go," the spirit commanded. "If you truly desire to save this woman, you will be able to take this bow back to the foot of the mountain."

As Kagome walked down the stairs, she noticed she wasn't getting any further. She decided to find another way around. By taking a different path, she managed to find Inuyasha and Kikyo, but ended up getting caught in spider threads again. She overheard Kikyo assume that Kagome was judged unworthy because she was contaminated by the spider threads and was taken by the guardian spirit. What Kagome didn't like most was Kikyo accusing Kagome of competing with her and not wanting to save her after all. She also saw that Kikyo was looking right at her, giving her the impression that she wanted Kagome to hear that.

Suddenly, the ground below Kagome came apart and now she was hanging on a cliff. She looked up and saw Kikyo looking down from the edge, demanding the bow. Kagome was having a hard time holding on to the vines and the bow felt too heavy for her to even lift. To Kikyo, this meant that Kagome did not wish to save her.

Kagome heard Kikyo's voice again, coming from the spirit guardian. It was telling her to discard the bow. The spirit guardian began convincing Kagome that if she were to save Kikyo, Inuyasha would forget his feelings for Kagome and reclaim his love for the priestess. Kagome wasn't sure what to decide. How would her decision impact her or Inuyasha? Would she only end up doing more harm than good? What would she regret most?

Kikyo continued to goad Kagome on, saying she knew her true feelings all along, pretending to be self-righteous and dignified, pretending to feel pity for a woman who died long ago only to be resurrected without much of a life when truly she was jealous and full of hate.

Kagome had enough and spoke up, telling the priestess she was wrong. Kikyo was the one who was really afraid of Kagome, not the other way around. Granted, Kikyo knew Inuyasha before Kagome did, and she knew she could never compete with that, let alone take it away. But Kagome also thought there were some things she knew about Inuyasha that Kikyo didn't. As Kagome spoke out with bravery, she noticed how light the bow was becoming.

"You are free to climb up by yourself now," the guardian spirit assured her. "Don't worry, the priestess cannot harm you now. She was nothing more than an illusion, one that your heart created." That was when Kagome noticed that the vines on the cliff and Kikyo were all just threads of spider's silk. With the illusions becoming undone, Kagome was free. "The spider webs which have entangled you have now been severed," echoed the guardian spirit's voice. "Use the bow to save the priestess."

As the threads began to evaporate, Kagome began falling. Inuyasha saw her as he was climbing up the stairwell to find her and caught her in his arms. Kagome came to her senses and realized that everything that happened was an illusion. But to her relief, Inuyasha was here.

At the bottom of the stairwell, tensions began to mount. Everyone could sense Naraku's presence and that he was getting closer. Kikyo, however, knew that he was already here. His spider threads caught her, along with everyone else, and began taking them away.


	12. The Fate of Kikyo

The Fate of Kikyo

The situation had now changed. Kikyo's condition had worsened and she was no longer able to protect the heroes. When everyone got further enough away from the mausoleum, Naraku let everyone except for Kikyo go. He held her in his arms with a menacing smile. "Kikyo, how does it feel to know that you will die in the arms of your most hated enemy?"

Koga wasn't going to stand for this. In the beginning, he blamed Kikyo for using Midoriko's soul to not only sustain her body and life energy, but to also control his Jewel shards, and he was also aware that Naraku wanted his shards, but now he was ready to fight. He tried to attack Naraku with his Goraishi, but Naraku shielded himself with the adamant he acquired after devouring Moryomaru.

"Don't do this, Koga," Joey begged. "If Naraku takes your Jewel shards, we'll be powerless against him!"

"Don't worry, I've got this," boasted the wolf. He was fast enough to dodge Naraku's attacks, but he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. When Kikyo opened her eyes, she sensed how strongly Koga's Sacred Jewel shards had been purified and knew it could only be by Midoriko's will. She knew that if Naraku were to seize Koga's Jewel shards and combine them with his, both Naraku and the nearly completed Jewel would be purified.

Koga still needed help all the same. Naraku released his miasma, but Emily was able to purify it once again. When the miasma cleared, Naraku caught Koga in his tentacles and began reeling him in. As he pierced his legs and touched the Sacred Jewel shards, their pure light began destroying the tentacles, releasing Koga. Kaiba managed to catch the wolf in his arms.

Naraku knew what was going on all this time. Since he and Kikyo were connected by the spider threads, he was able to read her thoughts. That's how he was able to save himself from being purified.

Finally, Inuyasha arrived with his sword drawn. He tried to cut Kikyo free, but Naraku's armor-like body was too hard. Emily still wasn't confident, but she felt like she had to try, so she used her Lucent Beam attack to strike Naraku. That attack turned out to be nothing more than a gentle burn. "Princess Emily, did you honestly think one simple spell could wound me? I may be blessed with the Dark Lord's power as well as the Sacred Jewel, but you have no advantage over me. My brothers Chase Young and Fiore were merely the opening acts set to test your powers. I am far more formidable than those weak fools. I've been observing their battles with you through the Cobalt Star shard and I've spent every moment up to now carefully planning for when I would face you as well."

_I can't hurt him,_ Emily thought. _He's just too strong._

"She needs help," Yugi cried.

Kaiba agreed. He pulled out a few sutras and sent them flying towards Naraku's arm holding Kikyo, but when they made contact, they burned without affecting the demon at all. "Damn," Kaiba grunted. "Even my spiritual power's not enough." Joey tried shooting one of his arrows, but it shattered when it came into contact with Naraku's arm as well.

Watching from the edge of the cliff, Kagome saw that her friends needed help, but even she didn't have as much confidence. She only had one arrow left in her quiver, meaning she had to make this shot count. But she remembered Kikyo's words. _"You must shoot me using this bow. Only that can purify me from Naraku's contamination."_

Kagome knew that Kikyo was putting all of her faith in her. She drew the bow, but she heard Kikyo's thoughts, telling her to wait.

"You must be happy, Kikyo," Naraku said grimly. "Your beloved Inuyasha has arrived just in time to watch you die. Even the princess will watch and live with regret for failing to save you as well."

"Not gonna happen!" Inuyasha barked. With the power of the Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha found Naraku's demon vortex and cut through it. Nothing happened at first, but Naraku's adamant arm opened up, revealing some kind of dimension hole. Looking close inside, Kagome saw the tainted Sacred Jewel. Emily looked inside too, but couldn't see the Cobalt Star shard. This meant that Naraku didn't have them together.

Naraku loosened his grip on Kikyo. Emily flew in to rescue her. Inuyasha went with her to make sure the priestess was all right.

Naraku was wide open for an attack. Koga charged in, hoping the Jewel shards in his legs would purify Naraku and the Jewel. At that moment, Kagome no longer sensed the Sacred Jewel and begged Koga to pull back. But it was too late. As Koga got close enough, Naraku snared him with his tentacles again. Now instead of purifying Naraku, the Jewel shards in Koga's legs would only become defiled. Trapped in Naraku's adamant arm and surrounded by miasma, the wolf was becoming weak.

Kikyo came to, but told Emily and Inuyasha that there was no time to be concerned for her. "Princess Emily, when Kagome shoots, you must combine your power with the arrow," she told the blonde. "My spiritual power infused with Millennia's light should be able to purify the Jewel and Naraku together." Emily understood and agreed to do it.

Koga needed help. Without waiting, the rest of the heroes charged in to the rescue. Miroku unveiled his wind tunnel once again, but only ended up taking in Naraku's miasma. The monk knew what he was doing, though. By clearing the air for Koga, the wolf was able to break free. Miroku was able to conceal his wind tunnel again before fatally wounding himself even more.

Finally, Inuyasha and Emily arrived, but saw that Koga was in bad shape. Kagome also sensed that the Jewel shards in the wolf's legs were becoming defiled. She tried to find Naraku's Sacred Jewel, but couldn't see it. But as she looked down at Kikyo, she realized that he must have hidden it with her all along. Kikyo opened her eyes and Kagome heard her thoughts, telling her that the time was now. Kagome drew the bow and steadied herself.

Naraku wasn't going to give her the opportunity to strike. He attacked the edge Kagome was standing on, causing her to fall. Just then, a horde of shining reptilian-like demons filled with light came and surrounded Kagome, protecting her. Kagome wasted no time. She shot the arrow, managing to strike the Sacred Jewel before Naraku could retrieve it. Emily also used her Light Saber spell on the arrow, just as Kikyo told her to. Purified by the power of the arrow as well as Emily's spell and guided by the demons, the Sacred Jewel began making its way back to Naraku. Aware of the fate Kikyo had planned for Naraku, he wasn't going to allow himself to be purified. He began using his miasma along with the power of his Cobalt Star shard to defile the Jewel. The Jewel still managed to strike Naraku in the location of his heart with Kikyo's spiritual energy and Millennia's light trying to fight against Naraku's demonic energy as well as the Dark Lord's power. Weakened by the struggle of the forces, Naraku released Koga, but still managed to steal his Sacred Jewel shards.

The powers of darkness and evil managed to overcome Kikyo's spiritual power and Millennia's light. To Naraku, this must have meant that the Dark Lord heard him and saved him.

"Kagome," Kikyo weakly called. "Protect the last shard," she pleaded. "Protect… Kohaku's light. This is something only you and the princess can do now."

"You can't mean that! You'll be okay!" Kagome cried. "I don't know if I possibly can. And it's not that I don't have faith in Emily, but… but I shot you with the bow just like you wanted! It should have purified the wound!"

Naraku cackled triumphantly. "Kikyo, it appears you've lost!"

The priestess didn't seem to agree. That would only be decided when the Shikon Jewel would be complete again.

Naraku reached for Kikyo and Kagome, but Inuyasha and Emily protected them. "Only one shard left and no one, not even Millennia herself or her warriors will be able to stop me. We'll see how courageous you are without Kikyo protecting you. She's finished. She lost not only to my demonic power, but to the Dark Lord himself as well!" And he surrounded himself in miasma and disappeared.

Inuyasha turned around, looking at Kikyo as she was lying down on her back. He and the rest of the heroes came together and surrounded her.

That evening, Kikyo was taken away from the desolate ravine and brought to a meadow that looked peaceful and quiet. Everyone had their worries for the priestess. It seemed she was beyond saving now. Inuyasha continued to hold her in his arms. "Please, I'd like to be alone with her," he whispered grimly to his comrades. Everyone understood and agreed to give them some space.

Kagome began crying, apologizing to Kikyo for failing. But the priestess assured her that she didn't fail. _"Don't cry, Kagome. My soul was saved. I can finally die in peace."_

The sun had set and the sky was a dark blue filled with more stars than anyone had ever seen. But the scene was not peaceful. "I had the chance to destroy Naraku," Miroku mused. "If I had done it, maybe things wouldn't have turned out as they did. But I didn't do it. I was so afraid for my own life that I hesitated. She saved my life and she needed my help. I just…" Miroku started sobbing. Sango held his hand to comfort him.

"I don't think it would have made much difference," said Kaiba. "After seeing his impressive display of power, it's clear we'd all die at the chance of defeating him and he'd only end up surviving. Besides, if I didn't know better, I'd say Kikyo knew what was going to happen."

"I thought after all we've been through, we'd have a chance against someone like Naraku," Joey wondered. "But I was wrong. It's too soon and he's too dangerous. We weren't ready for this."

"Joey, why are we all here?" Emily asked. "To take the easy path? We were warned that our enemies would be stronger and our journeys would be harder on the way."

Yugi agreed. "There's no better time than now. We may face something worse than Naraku in the future. Every encounter, every battle with him now gives us an opportunity to become stronger and find a way to overcome not just our enemies, but also our fears and doubts. We have to be strong not just in body, but in spirit."

Sango agreed. "I thought I despised Kikyo. All I knew was that she was willing to sacrifice my brother and his shard to defeat Naraku. I didn't think his life mattered to her. However, when I talked to Kaiba and saw how Kikyo tried to save Koga, I realized I was wrong about her. Kikyo was fighting to protect Kohaku's life. She was trying to protect all of us."

"She was like a guardian angel watching over and protecting us," Emily said in agreement.

Joey was silent for a second, then said softly, "I wonder," he paused, then added, "I wonder if she knew all along that Naraku was one of the Dark Lord's minions."

"Whether or not she did is irrelevant," said Kaiba. "She was willing to take matters into her own hands."

"But it also seemed like she was preparing everything carefully to leave the rest to us," Emily wondered. "I think contrary to what we all thought about her in the past, Kikyo had faith in every single one of us and not just in Inuyasha especially, but Kagome too," she said, looking back at Kagome.

It didn't bother Koga too much that he no longer had Shikon Jewel shards. He was just grateful to be alive.

Kagome continued to blame herself as she cried. She kept telling herself how she failed because she was too overcome with doubt. She wanted to believe in Kikyo's words, but she didn't think she was deserving of such words of praise.

Inuyasha continued to hold Kikyo in her arms. "It's been so long," she said softly. "Do you remember those days, Inuyasha, when we were happy? Long before Naraku tore us apart?"

Inuyasha did remember. Those memories were burned in his heart. "How could I forget? Back then, I wanted to become human so we could spend our lives together."

Ignoring her pain, Kikyo smiled with great joy. "At last, I have become an ordinary woman." It was true. At last, she was free to express her true emotions, show her true personality. This was the moment when she was free to be the kind of person she wanted to be. That was why the moment was peaceful to her.

"Kikyo, you were the first woman I ever loved," he said sincerely, "the first person I ever cared for. But I… I still couldn't save you."

"You've never done that," Kikyo said, noticing his tears. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you cry."

"I'm sorry," the half-breed sobbed, letting his tears fall freely. "You needed me and I couldn't save you."

To Kikyo, all that mattered was that Inuyasha came for her. She smiled at him once again, with an expression that she had never shown him before, an expression of appreciation. To show it, she kissed him one last time. After that, she fell motionless and evaporated into light. Her demons, the soul collectors, returned to fill everyone with the light of her soul. It seemed to be comforting them from their sadness and sorrow and it was like they all heard her telling everyone 'goodbye'. Then the soul collectors carried Kikyo's soul into the heavens.

"Kikyo doesn't want us to mourn her," Inuyasha told his friends. "She says she'll protect us," he paused, then finished, "forever."


	13. Journey to the Underworld

Journey to the Underworld

Far away, Max continued her journey. She wasn't completely unaware of the events that have been going on recently. She knew a great and terrible evil was afoot. Her Cobalt Star shards had been acting restless over the past few days. Having had enough playing around, she decided it was time to get serious and practice magic. There was no telling when a battle would arise and she needed to be prepared.

Max eventually met up with Sango's brother Kohaku as he was being attacked by Byakuya and as fate would have it, Sesshomaru and his group found the boy as well. Rin was more than happy to see Max again and even asked Sesshomaru if she could accompany them. Jaken was outraged, but Sesshomaru didn't seem to care. Nonetheless, the dog demon allowed Max to come along.

Rin certainly seemed to like being around Max and the older girl certainly didn't seem to mind her company. Every time Rin asked her questions, Max would smile and briefly answer. Of course, Jaken was annoyed, but no one really seemed to care about his opinion. Kohaku didn't have much to say. He had been reeling in sadness after learning about Kikyo's fate. As for Sesshomaru, he didn't talk unless he had something to say. For Max, it was difficult, but Rin had upmost respect for him and didn't mind.

The group came to a meadow. Looking in the sky, everyone saw the silhouette of a large canine-looking demon. Sesshomaru took on the shape of a great white dog and approached the demon. Max watched in amazement, wishing she had the power to take on the form of the creature she resembled.

The two dog demons came back to the ground standing face-to-face in their human forms. Standing before Sesshomaru was a woman clad in magnificent robes. "Sesshomaru, I thought that was you," the female dog demon said.

"Who do you think you are," Jaken snapped. "Show a little respect!" But as usual, the imp was ignored.

"I assume you have questions about the Tenseiga your father left you," continued the female dog demon, referring to Sesshomaru's sword. "I can think of no other reason you would come visit your mother."

All of Sesshomaru's companions were astonished to hear her say that. The female dog demon brought her guests to her domain. It was a palace that rested above the clouds. She took her position on her throne.

Noticing her son's companions, she's somewhat intrigued. "Sesshomaru, as I recall, you used to despise humans, did you not? And yet, here you are with two human children in your company. Even a beautiful young vixen has joined you. Perhaps you intend to eat the children? Have you become fond of the vixen that you would consider taking her as your wife?"

Max was a little shocked at that last statement. She softly gasped and looked the other way.

Sesshomaru immediately got back to the subject at hand. "Tenseiga can be used to open a path to the underworld. Father must have told you about it at some point."

"Oh? Your father never spoke of it. He simply gave me this meido stone," she replied, showing her son the talisman around her neck. "He told me to use it if you should ever come to me for advice. Oh, and he mentioned something else as well. As I recall, he said using the meido stone would put you in great danger as well. He told me not to be worried or sad about that."

"She seems to be really good at not worrying," Rin wondered.

"That doesn't surprise me," Max whispered to her. "Emotions run deep in demons, yet they are more capable of controlling them than humans are."

"Whatever shall I do?" the female dog demon asked. "Your mother is terribly distressed."

_She says that, but doesn't show it,_ Max thought to herself. _That proves what I told Rin is true._

Sesshomaru wasn't convinced. He knew his mother too well to be deceived by such façade. "Your words are hollow as always."

His mother grinned in amusement. "Very well, then I shall have you entertain me." She activates her stone, summoning a phantom beast in the form of a dog. Sesshomaru strikes the beast with his Meido Zangetsuha, creating a tear between this world and the underworld. The female dog demon was not impressed with her son's display, seeing as it was in the form of a crescent shape. She also alerted him that his effort was futile. The beast charged towards Max and the children and brought them back with it to the underworld. Sesshomaru decided to go after it.

The female dog demon told her son to wait. "You intend to take the path to the underworld to save a Kitsune and two human children? You've never been prone to such foolishness."

"Nor am I prone to it now, Mother," he remarked, passing through the gate as it closes.

The female dog demon sat back down in her throne. "The tragedy here is that no one can return alive once the path to the underworld has closed. Oh, I tried to tell him, but he just would not listen," she cried with mock sadness.

Sesshomaru found and caught up with the phantom beast and stopped it from going any further. Looking inside, he saw Max holding Rin and Kohaku protectively. The emissaries from the netherworld were about to take their spirits, but Sesshomaru was able to use the healing power of Tenseiga to stop them and even kill the phantom beast.

Freed from the phantom beast, Max gently set Rin and Kohaku down. The boy was the first to come to. "It appears you are unharmed and able to move," Sesshomaru observed. "I suppose it must be from the power of the Shikon Jewel shard and the Cobalt Star shards."

Kohaku was shocked to hear that. "Cobalt Star shards?" He looked at Max. "So then, Lady Max, are you-?"

"There's no time to discuss that now," she interrupted.

"Take Rin and Kohaku and run away," Sesshomaru ordered Max.

She refused. "I can fight."

Without waiting, Kohaku placed Rin on his back. But demons came and began destroying the path. Max managed to catch Rin and Kohaku and bring them back on the path. She also used her Dark Force spell to kill the demons.

They continued on the path to the underworld, but Kohaku stopped, noticing something was wrong. "Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Max," he called.

They stopped and gave him their attention. "What is it, Kohaku?" Max asked.

"It's Rin," he answered with worry in his tone. "She's not breathing."

"What?" Max asked in alert. Even Sesshomaru didn't like the sound of that.

"It's true," Kohaku answered. "She's not breathing and I can feel her body getting colder and colder."

"Set her down," Sesshomaru ordered. Max helped carry Rin off of Kohaku's back. When she touched her, she gasped in shock at how cold Rin felt and her heart began to race with fear for the girl. Gently, Max placed her down on her back. Sesshomaru drew his sword, but could not see the minions of the netherworld surrounding Rin.

"Please forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru," Kohaku sobbed. "I was supposed to keep her safe."

For once, Max was feeling desperate. "Oh, I wish Emily were here," she whined. "She knows a reviving spell, one that could save Rin."

"Emily," Sesshomaru said softly. "Is that not the name of the princess who holds the Millennium Star?"

"Yes," Max answered. "Normally, I wouldn't say I'd need her help, but now for Rin's sake, I wish she was here to help."

"No," Sesshomaru said coldly. "After I saved Rin after she was killed by wolves, I should have left her in a human village."

Suddenly, shadows came and surrounded the group. When the darkness lifted, they noticed that Rin's lifeless body was being carried away. Max, Kohaku, and Sesshomaru began their pursuit until a path back to the castle opened up for them. "Please come out, Sesshomaru," the female dog demon called to her son. "If you continue towards me, you'll be able to exit the underworld. However, this path I've opened will soon close and once it does, you will never be able to return to this world."

"Max, take Kohaku through this path while it is open," Sesshomaru ordered. Without waiting for any words of protest or agreement, he found another path that would lead him to the darkness. Rather than do as he says, Max and Kohaku follow the dog demon and the path begins to close.

As they got closer, the trio saw a creature holding Rin in its grasp. It was the guardian of the underworld. Kohaku froze with fear, allowing the wind to carry him towards the demon. Max flew in to his rescue and brought him back. "You need to be strong," she warned him. "If you relax even for a second, you'll be swept away." She used a spell called Evil Gate to shield him from the influences of the underworld. "This spell won't last long, but you'll have some protection," she assured him.

The guardian of the underworld was surrounded by corpses. Their smell was stifling even for Max's keen sense of smell, but she managed to tolerate it. The guardian was about to send Rin to the world beyond the netherworld. _I'm coming for you, Rin, _Max promised. Her eyes shined with a purple light and she focused all of her hate on the demon, increasing the power of her Dark Force spell. The guardian of the underworld took notice of Max and was about to attack her, but Sesshomaru cut it down using the healing power of Tenseiga.

Max caught Rin in her arms. "We did it, Rin. The guardian of the underworld has been defeated, so you can come back." But she wasn't receiving a response. Rin remained lifeless. "Rin? Rin, come on!" Max cried. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "But… but why? I don't understand," she sobbed, her voice breaking. Then she heard the voice of the Dark Lord, saying Tenseiga can only save a life once. Since Rin was already brought back to life before as Sesshomaru mentioned earlier, she doesn't get a second chance. "No," Max sobbed, holding Rin tightly in her arms. "No-o-o-o!"

Sesshomaru dropped his sword. _I let her die for something like this,_ he wondered angrily. _Nothing I could have gained was worth losing her; nothing at all._

Max listened to his thoughts and sensed his emotions, knowing he was being truthful about how he was feeling. Just then, she noticed that Tenseiga began glowing. Its light began calling the corpses surrounding her and Sesshomaru. Max reached for it, but Sesshomaru stopped her.

"Don't touch it," he said sternly. He grasped the hilt of the sword and began using the light of his weapon to purify the corpses. After that, Sesshomaru used Meido Zangetsuha to open another path between the underworld and the world of the living. Together, he and Max and Kohaku returned with Rin's lifeless body.

"So you've returned," the female dog demon said without any show of emotion. She could tell her son was dismayed despite his emotionless experience. "You look so sad. Tenseiga has matured inexplicably and your meido has expanded as you had hoped. Isn't that cause for celebration?"

"Not if it means sacrificing the life of an innocent child," Max growled, fighting the tears in her eyes.

"Did you know this would happen to Rin?" Sesshomaru demanded to know.

"If I'm not mistaken, you've already used Tenseiga to revive her once, have you not?" his mother inquired. "Tenseiga can only call a person back from the dead once."

"I know," said Max. "I know because… I heard the Dark Lord tell me." She eases herself and adds in acknowledgement, "But it's understandable. Life is not eternal in the mortal world. We can't revive it over and over again as we will it. We may not be like humans, but that doesn't make us gods."

"Indeed, my dear," said the female dog demon. "My son needed to learn two things: the desire to save a loved one taken by death and the sorrow and fear which accompanies that loss. You knew all of that before you entered the underworld." She faces her son and tells him directly, "Your father wanted me to tell you this: Tenseiga is a sword for healing. Only a person who values life and possesses a compassionate heart may use its power to bury their enemies."

"I'm sure your son already knew that," Max barked. "He's been told so many times before."

The female dog demon paid no mind to Max's tone, but could see that she had strong feelings for Rin. She removes the meido stone from around her neck and places it on Rin's chest. Its power begins to call Rin's life back from the underworld and her heart begins beating.

Rin finally opens her eyes and gasps for air. Sesshomaru gently touches her face. Rin also sees Max looking at her in amazement. "Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Max," Rin says softly. "You're here."

"Oh, Rin," Max sobs as she hugs her. "You're okay. I was so worried we lost you." She begins crying again. This time, with tears of happiness. Rin hugs her back.

_All this fuss over a little human girl,_ the female dog demon wondered. _He's inherited another one of his father's more unusual traits. _She began thinking about how her mate fell in love with a human woman and had a child with her. "Young Kistune," she called to Max. Max released Rin and approached the female dog demon. "I have a question for you and the boy. How was it that the both of you were able to survive in the underworld? As far as I knew, that was only possible for demons and never for humans. However, you, my dear, don't seem to be one or the other or even a half-demon."

"I guess it's because I was protected by my Cobalt Star shards," Max answered. "I did mention hearing his voice back there. Other than that, I'm not really part of this world. In either case, I wouldn't be affected by such influences."

"And my life is sustained by a Shikon Jewel shard," Kohaku answered.

The female dog demon was intrigued to hear their answers. However, she warned them, "The both of you will do well to remember this: your lives cannot be saved by Tenseiga."

At first, Max was confused, then remembered what she said earlier, about not really being a part of this world. So even though she was part of the living, this place was not her world. So she acknowledged the female dog demon's warning. She was worried for Kohaku, but she still wondered if the revival spell Emily knew would be the key to saving him. The only way to know was for the both of them to be together for when his Sacred Jewel shard would be removed from his body. As they left the castle, Rin and Max looked at each other, smiling cheerfully. It was true, Max had begun to develop strong feelings for Rin and the young girl was becoming very fond of her new friend.


	14. Bittersweet

Bittersweet

Koga parted ways with the heroes and returned to his home to recuperate. Yugi promised the wolf that he wouldn't lose his Jewel shards for nothing and that his efforts would not be in vain.

Inuyasha was still feeling sad and hurt about Kikyo's departure. But it brought him some peace of mind. The last time they were forced to part, it was under different circumstances. They were turned against each other and felt no sadness towards one another. This time, Kikyo and Inuyasha were able to have a proper goodbye and express their love for one another. Still, emotions run deep in demons, especially half-demons, meaning it was going to take time for Inuyasha to recover from his heartache. But he wasn't going to let this stop him from seeking out Naraku. In fact, he had one more incentive to destroy his most hated enemy.

The heroes came to a village surrounded by fields of pink flowers. To the humans of the group, the scent was relaxing. But for Shippo, Inuyasha, and Kirara, their noses were too sensitive and their sinuses were irritated. Without much discussion, the heroes decided to rest in the village for a while.

That night, while most of his friends were sleeping, Inuyasha noticed that the scent of the flowers was getting stronger and had a bad feeling that something suspicious was going on. Kagome urged Inuyasha to try to get some rest. She noticed that he hadn't been sleeping much since Kikyo left this world. Inuyahsa wouldn't allow himself to. He knew if he were to sleep, he would only dream about Kikyo and that would cause more heartache.

Shippo had a hard time sleeping too. As the scent of the flowers was getting stronger, his sinuses became more irritated and his eyes started hurting too. Inuyasha knew for sure that there was something wrong about the flowers. And why would the villagers have a house just for travelers?

Finally, everyone woke up and looked outside. They saw villagers standing in the flower fields with vines snaring their legs. The flowers also turned from pink to red. Kaiba and Miroku tossed their sutras towards the vines, stopping their evil power. The flowers withered and turned to dust. However, the villagers had somehow turned into soil.

"They'll be perfect for my flowers," said a sinister voice. It came from a young man dressed in noble attire. "Look around. Flowers thrive in happy soil, don't you think?"

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

He announced himself as the Flower Prince. "My villagers, you seem disappointed. I imagine you must be quite upset." The villagers confessed that they were upset because they were unable to become soil due to the heroes interfering. None of the heroes liked the sound of that, but the Flower Prince said he was simply offering the villagers peace and tranquility.

Inuyasha covered his face and warned his friends not to breathe in the aroma of the flowers. Sango realized his warning too late and lost consciousness. "Poor girl," the Flower Prince said in mock sadness. "Worrying about the fate of her brother has driven her into madness. Perhaps I can ease her pain." He looked at Miroku. "And you, you are threatened by your injury, a wound that limits your life. Not that I blame you. All men fear death."

Kaiba growled. _This guy is tormenting us. Somehow he's able to read our thoughts and see our fears._

"You don't have to worry anymore," said the Flower Prince. "Resign yourselves to the flowers and it will bring you the joy of everlasting peace that has so long eluded you."

"No, thanks," said Kaiba.

Inuyasha had enough and attacked with this Windscar. When the attacked cleared, the Flower Prince disappeared and so did the flowers, leaving behind a small puddle of blood. Inuyasha didn't kill him. He knew because he could still smell him. "I'm going after him. The rest of you stay here."

"We can help," Emily offered.

"No, thanks," Inuyasha told her. "I can handle this by myself."

"This may not be as easy as you think," Kaiba warned him. "The Flower Prince seems to prey on the sorrows and pain of his victims and you're still suffering from both."

As usual, he stubbornly refused to listen. "Don't worry about me. I'm not as delicate as the rest of you people." Physically, he was stronger than his comrades, but emotionally, he was just as frail as they were. His friends knew as much, which was why they insisted on helping him. Inuyasha hoped that a battle would help him take his mind off of Kikyo and not bring about those painful emotions.

To help his friends, Miroku gave Kagome a bracelet made with beads that had the power to repel demons. Kaiba had one made for himself and for Yugi, Joey, and Emily. Miroku stayed behind to look after Sango and the other villagers.

Inuyahsa and the others made it to the Flower Prince's castle and set foot in his flower garden. "Welcome to my humble abode," the Flower Prince greeted. "If you've come to apologize for your violent behavior, there's no need."

"Good, because that's not why we're here," Kaiba told him.

"It hardly matters," said the Flower Prince. "As you can see, I wasn't injured. The blood you saw was merely a personal invitation to my home. I have little doubt that your souls will taste exquisite. I prefer to devour them here where I can truly savor their flavors."

Just like before, the flowers changed from pink to red. Yugi and his friends were able to fly above the ground, but Inuyasha was caught in the vines of the flowers. Through the vines, the Flower Prince was able to sense Inuyasha's pain from losing Kikyo. Suddenly, the flowers began to liquefy and pull the half-demon under.

The vines tried to reach for Kagome too, but she was protected by the beads of demon repulsion. This meant that Yugi and his friends would be safe to touch the ground too. Kaiba looked at the castle. "I'll bet the Flower Prince took Inuyasha somewhere inside his castle."

"Then let's go," Joey said, walking towards the door.

"Joey, wait," Yugi cried, but the blonde lad was pushed back by a barrier.

"Stand back," Kaiba alerted his friends. "I'll try to dispel it." He raised his staff and hit it against the barrier, creating an opening.

"Well done, Kaiba," Emily cheered.

Joey was amazed. "I didn't know you had that kind of power."

"I guess I have Raye to thank," he boasted. "She's been helping me get in tune with my spiritual power."

"I guess that explains why you've always been seeing her," said Joey. Suddenly, the barrier closed up again. The heroes wouldn't give up, however. Kaiba got another idea. He placed his beads of demon repulsion at the head of his staff and struck the barrier again, dispelling it. Now everyone was free to enter the castle. However, by giving up his beads, Kaiba became victim to the vines of the flowers. He told his friends to hurry and find Inuyasha.

Inside the castle, down in the cellar, Inuyasha heard the voices of his friends. He awakened and broke free from the vines that were holding him. Finally, the Flower Prince's true form was revealed. He was a plant demon. Kagome got the same idea as Kaiba and tied her beads of repulsion to one of her arrows and shot the demon.

The plant demon wasn't dead yet. Somewhere inside the castle, he began feeding on Kagome's soul and Kaiba's. But thanks to the help of her friends, Emily was able to locate the demon and attack him with her Lucent Beam spell. "Do you think it's amusing to look into the hearts of others and remind them of their pain?" Emily asked the demon. "Like you, I can see into their hearts too, but I only look for their truths, what makes them who they really are on the inside. And their truths, what makes them separate from others, is theirs alone. The pain in their hearts is no exception, meaning it's not for you to consume. It's something we have to be willing to share when we feel the need to and you can't control that." Filled with her love for her friends and respect for their feelings, she builds up her energy and attacks again.

Emily was able to strike the same spot, but the plant demon was still alive. Seeing the flowers rustle at her feet, Yugi pushes her away. As the demon emerges from the flowers, Yugi draws his swords and cuts him down. Now that the plant demon is finally killed, the flowers are gone and the villagers are back to normal.

"Is everyone all right?" Emily asked.

"Fine, thanks to you guys," said Inuyasha. "You know, Emily, I think your magic is getting stronger," he complemented her. "It wasn't like that before." He faces Yugi and tells him, "And, Yugi, you were pretty brave too. And, Kagome, you were also strong back there."

"We're a team," Yugi told him. "We work together and support one another."

Inuyasha appreciated that, but he felt like he had something he needed to get off his chest. "Before any of you came, I had a dream about Kikyo. When I saw her, she asked me to go with her."

"That demon looked inside my thoughts of pain and sorrow too," said Kaiba. "He saw my worries for my little brother."

"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed. "I never saved Kikyo's life and that caused me a lot of pain. That's why I didn't want help. I thought this was something I had to do on my own. I guess I was so focused on my own suffering to see how much my friends were suffering too."

"We were worried about you," Joey admitted, "but that doesn't mean we were suffering because of you."

That wasn't how Kagome felt. Actually, she felt the opposite. In some ways, worrying about Inuyasha does make her suffer more than any of her friends realize. That was why Inuyasha still apologized to his friends for not realizing that they were in pain just like he was. His friends understood and forgave him.


	15. Kanna's Battle

Kanna's Battle

The following day, after leaving the village, the heroes came across a troubled group of men saying they saw a mysterious light at a nearby lake. Looking in the distance, they saw that a light was still shining in the area of the lake. Inuyasha and his friends went to check it out.

To everyone's shock, the lake water was solid like it had turned into glass. In the middle of the lake was a small round mirror. Kagome recognized the mirror and said it belonged to Kanna, another one of Naraku's minions. And there she was, standing next to her mirror. Her skin was ghostly pale and she was wearing a white dress. Her hair was also as white as the clouds and she sported white flowers at the sides of her head.

_She almost looks like Melinda,_ Emily wondered. _Except she's so much younger and her eyes are expressionless._

Kanna's mirror began turning into a human-shaped demon. Without speaking, Kanna commanded her mirror demon to attack as Inuyasha drew his sword. The demon raised its hand and produced its own sword, rather a replica of Tetsusaiga, complete with all the power of the original.

Inuyasha tried to attack by unleashing his Windscar, but nothing happened. It turned out that Kanna's mirror demon didn't just reflect Tetsusaiga's power; it stole it. The mirror demon attacked with Windscar, followed by the Adamant Barrage. Kaiba and Emily used their powers to create barriers to protect everyone from the adamant spears.

Battling with Kanna was too dangerous right now, so the heroes agreed to pull back. Kanna didn't bother going after the heroes. Instead, she left the lake with her demon beside her. As they were walking through the woods, the mirror demon picked a flower and gave it to Kanna. The little girl took the flower in her hand. "Flowers wither and lose their color," she recited, having spoken these words before, "much as I reflect in vain time lost to the long rain." After looking at the flower enough, Kanna crushed it in her hand.

The heroes found a small cave where they could rest and strategize. Miroku and Kaiba combined their powers to create a strong barrier. "We should be safe here for the time being," Yugi hoped.

"I never would have thought a little girl would be potentially dangerous," said Kaiba.

"Kanna is no ordinary girl," said Emily.

"You mean she's another one of Naraku's incarnations," he guessed.

"Yes, and her powers are very dangerous," said Miroku.

"The last time we fought her, we got beat up pretty badly," said Kagome.

"So what are we gonna do?" Joey asked. "Kanna's mirror demon has all the power of Inuyasha's sword. It could do the same thing to us and take our powers too."

"We may have to kill Kanna in order to kill the demon," Kaiba figured. "But if she's as powerful and dangerous as Inuyasha and the others say she is, then we may have a big fight on our hands. Plus, this isn't going to be like the time you fought against Dhaki's power," the brunette told Inuyasha directly. The half-demon knew as much, but was determined to get his sword's power back.

"Well, whatever it is we're planning to do, we'd better do it soon," Sango alerted her friends. Looking outside, she saw that Kanna's mirror demon was standing just outside the cave entrance. It raised the Tetsusaiga replica and called on its power to destroy barriers. The blade turned red and with one fell swoop, it destroyed the barrier. Sango used her hiraikotsu to strike the boulders above and create a cave-in. Kagome shot her arrow for the demon's neck. A scratch appeared, but the demon quickly recovered.

Outside, Kanna commanded her mirror demon to attack with the power of the Adamant Barrage. Inuyasha drew his sword. He wasn't able to stop the attack, but he was able to redirect it. Emily decided to take a chance. She used her Lucent Beam spell and struck the demon's chest, but just like before, the demon recovered. Kaiba raised his staff and tried to attack with his magic, creating a red dragon and sending it to attack, but it ended with the same result.

"Damn," Kaiba grunted. "Even if we do manage to attack, it's just going to heal itself."

Shippo looked at the adamant spears. "They all went in different directions like they were trying to avoid us."

"Tetsusaiga's protective power must have kicked in," Inuyasha snarled. "That means Tetsusaiga is more than just an empty shell."

Kagome gasped as she looked at Inuyasha's face. His eyes had turned red and he had purple marks under his eyes. This was what he looked like when his demonic nature took over when he was in a life-threatening position and he didn't have the power of his sword to suppress it. When that happens, Inuyahsa can't control his actions or even tell friend from foe. That means he won't hesitate to attack his comrades or even recognize their voices.

Kanna's mirror demon was about to attack with the Adamant Barrage again. Inuyasha felt Tetsusaiga pulsating in his hands, thinking that the sword wanted to help take back its power. The adamant spears came flying in, but Inuyasha deflected them. He also used his brute strength to force the demon outside. He struck the demon's left shoulder, but once again, it recovered.

The mirror demon called upon the power of Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga. This meant one thing: it was going to find Inuyasha's demon vortex and cut through it.

"Inuyasha, pull back," Kaiba cried.

"We can take it from here," said Emily.

"Stay back or I'll cut you down too," Inuyasha warned them. "You have no idea what I'm capable of right now," he said, still snarling.

"But if it cuts your demon vortex, you'll be killed," Yugi cried.

Inuyasha didn't listen. He just charged in towards the mirror demon. The demon was too sluggish and unable to strike Inuyasha. The half-breed dodged and struck its right eye. Once again, the demon recovered from the damage it took.

Then the heroes saw a light of demonic energy making its way to the edge of the nearby cliff where they saw that Kanna and Byakuya were standing. They also noticed that Kanna was injured in the same spots where her mirror demon was attacked. That was when everyone realized that she was the one absorbing the damage that was dealt to her demon. Her neck and left shoulder were cracked like her body was made of glass and she was even blind in her right eye.

"Kanna, you don't have to do this!" Kagome cried. "You'll die if you keep on fighting like this! Stop now while you have the chance!"

"She won't," said Kaiba. "Naraku commanded her to attack us, meaning she has no choice but to carry out his orders."

"How peculiar to be showing concern for your enemy," Byakuya mused.

"I'm saying this fighting is unnecessary!" Kagome shrieked.

Emily agreed. "Kanna's own life is at stake now too!"

Kanna did not react to anyone's words. She placed her hands together and a light began shining. The same light was shining from her demon's chest. When Inuyasha saw a shadow being cast over him, he wondered, was it the shadow of Kanna's mirror? The mirror demon shined its light on Inuyasha like a laser. The heroes looked up and saw the same light making its way from the sky. And as long as the mirror's shadow was cast over him, the light would continue to strike.

"It appears you're in no position to be worrying about Kanna after all," Byakuya wondered. "Honestly, what a toothless bunch you are. Once I found out that Kanna and the demon were connected I would have reduced the girl to rubble, not stopped to warn her." Then he remembered that she was standing in front of him and heard him. "Oh, now don't get upset," he said nervously to her. "That's only if I _was_ your enemy, of course."

But Kanna didn't lash out on him. She didn't say anything at all. _She didn't react to his words,_ Kaiba wondered. _Is she unable to express her feelings? Or maybe… she has no emotions at all._

Inuyasha kept panting as he was recovering. If the mirror demon had the full extent of Tetsusaiga's power, the half-breed would have been killed for sure. He saw the light coming again and used his sword's barrier to protect himself and send the attack back. The mirror in the center of the demon's chest broke, but Kanna absorbed the damage once again and her chest and stomach areas began to crack. She wouldn't let up, however. She kept forcing her attack to keep going. Tetsusaiga wasn't able to take much more either as it was beginning to crack as well.

The way this was going, it was now clear to the heroes that Naraku intended for Inuyasha and Kanna to kill each other. They had to stop this, but they weren't sure how. Miroku's wind tunnel was not an option because he would only steal the demonic energy and it would be gone forever. If that were to happen, Tetsusaiga's power would never be restored.

Once again, Kagome and Emily begged Kanna to stop attacking for her sake. They knew she had no emotions, but even so, that shouldn't mean she shouldn't value her life. Kagome tried attacking the light with her arrow, but Kanna finally stopped as she saw it coming. She commanded the mirror demon to attack with the Windscar. Inuyasha was able to stop it, but his sword was on the brink of splitting in half. Inuyahsa tried attacking the demon's blade, but under Kanna's command, the demon put its left hand in the way and Inuyasha cut it off. And as she continued to absorb the damage, her left hand was removed from her body and fell at her feet.

Seeing Kanna like this was bringing tears to Emily's eyes. The blonde knew she didn't feel pain, but she still felt like the little girl was suffering. "Kanna, why are you doing this to yourself? It's pointless to just sacrifice your life."

"It's also just as pointless to reason with her," said Kaiba. "Kanna is aware of Tetsusaiga's power to steal demonic power, so she must have known that striking her demon's blade would have taken back its power. She sacrificed her hand to keep that from happening."

"It appears they have no intention of killing you," Byakuya told Kanna. "For the life of me, I can't fathom why. Kagome could have fired her sacred arrow into the hole in the sky and kill you, but instead, she chose to warn everyone. These people are completely insane."

Kanna wasn't the only one ignoring him. None of the heroes paid any mind to his commentary. Inuyasha continued his efforts on trying to strike the blade. This time, Kanna gave up her entire right arm. Inuyasha still managed to strike the demon's sword and began recovering the demonic power that was stolen. And now that Tetsusaiga's power was restored, Inuyasha's demon nature was suppressed again. The cracks in the sword were gone too.

Inuyasha walked up to Kanna. "It looks to me like this fight is over," he said, pointing his sword at her. He wasn't snarling anymore. Fearful of what was going to happen next, Emily trembled with her hand over her mouth. Yugi held her to relax her. But Inuyasha didn't attack her. He placed his sword back in its sheath. "You should go," he said softly to Kanna. He figured she had suffered enough. "You were ordered by Naraku to fight to the death, right? Well, I'm not interested."

Emily sighed of relief and finally stopped trembling.

"Killing you will only give me nightmares," Inuyasha told Kanna. It really would haunt him. It's true that Kanna is one of Naraku's minions, but she's also still just a little girl and Inuyasha can't bring himself to harm a little girl. And while Inuyasha knew that Kanna was born without emotions, he still felt it in his heart that she understood pain and fear and had been suffering deep down inside.

Other than that, considering all the damage she's taken, it's very uncertain that Naraku will have any further use for her. Emily approached Kanna. "Kanna, it's okay. You're free now." She smiles and holds her hand out to the girl. "If you want, you can even come with us. Maybe we can find a way to heal your body too."

Kanna heard Naraku's voice in her head. _"It isn't over, Kanna. You will take the lives of Inuyasha, the princess, and their friends along with your own."_

"What is it, Kanna?" Kagome asked. "Don't you understand? You're free now."

Hearing the word 'free' made Kanna think about her elder sister Kagura, Naraku's first incarnation who so desperately wanted to be free. Suddenly, a blue light began surrounding Kanna and the remains of her mirror demon. Yugi grabbed Emily and pulled her away. Kanna heard Naraku commanding her to move closer to Inuyasha and the others, but she wouldn't. She remained still as her body began to break even more. Before she and the demon are completely destroyed, Kanna says one last thing, but no one is able to hear her. Finally, she and the mirror demon are completely destroyed. Inuyasha creates a barrier with Tetsusaiga to protect him and Kagome, but a small fragment manages to get caught in Kagome's eye.

Suddenly, Kagome hears Kanna's voice. "The light will destroy Naraku." What got caught in Kagome's eye was a small piece of Kanna's body. She was conveying a message to Kagome, showing her the defiled Shikon Jewel and a small spark of light.

When the blast cleared, everyone saw a crater and in the middle of it was Kanna's broken mirror. Inuyasha walked into the crater and picked up the mirror. "You didn't have to die," he muttered sadly.

"She didn't want to," Emily told him. "But she didn't have a choice. We all know that Naraku killed her."

"He was going to have her die either way," said Joey. "That's just sick."

"Still, Emily's right," Kagome sobbed. "Kanna didn't want to die. She didn't want to take us with her. That's why I heard her final words." She released her tear, releasing the fragment in her eye as well. Inuyasha set the broken mirror back down and everyone continued to look in sadness, releasing a few tears. _Kanna, wherever you are, I heard your heart's last wish,_ Kagome thought.

As Kaiba saw Emily continue crying, he was baffled. "Is this really something to get so emotional about? I mean, she was one of our enemies. Other than that, she wasn't really as alive as us."

"What do you mean, Kaiba?" Shippo asked.

"Haven't you noticed it before in all the times you fought her?" the brunette asked. "Have you ever seen Kanna laugh or cry? Have you ever seen her express her feelings? That kid was born without a heart and soul."

Emily disagreed. "I think that underneath it all, she had thoughts and feelings like we did. She wasn't born without being able to feel anything, but without the freedom or will to express what she thought or how she felt. That was what made her so difficult to figure out." She looks up at the star-studded sky. "Maybe Kanna will be reborn in the heavens and she'll have a new soul."

"But still, why did you feel for her in the beginning when you knew she didn't have feelings?" Kaiba asked.

"Kanna may no longer be alive, but we are," Emily answered. "I felt for her because I cared, because I have a heart." She places her hand close to her chest to feel her heart beating. She faces the brunette lad and adds, "Being alive, having a heart, showing I care, it's not just part of human nature. It's in all living creatures; humans, animals, and demons. Kanna wasn't really all that different from any of us."

"No, I guess not," Joey figured.

It was all true. No matter what kind of living being Kanna was inside or outside, she was still a part of this world and her own person. She had a life and her existence was taken advantage of because of what she was born as. And like the heroes, she suffered, she had thoughts and feelings, and she wanted to be free; free to feel, free to understand, free from Naraku. So it wasn't really wrong for anybody to have feelings or concerns for Kanna. And it's not wrong to have her in their thoughts either.


	16. Sango's Feelings and Miroku's Resolve

Sango's Feelings and Miroku's Resolve

Days turned into weeks. It was now the night of the new moon. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, this was the time when he was at his most vulnerable. His demon powers would wane and he would become a human for the remainder of the night. He didn't like this one bit. He had put up with it his whole life, but he still had the instinct of fighting to survive. His companions wouldn't allow him to put himself in danger, though.

With Inuyasha out of commission until dawn, Miroku and Sango decided to take care of a demon that gathered the bones of its victims. The Heroes of Millennia decided to help out. The demon exhaled a toxic breath. Sango was protected thanks to her poison shielding mask, but she warned her comrades to be careful. She tossed her hiraikotsu, but her weapon got caught in the demon's teeth. Sango's weapon was made from the bones of demons, and that was what made it taste delicious to the bone eater.

Joey shot an arrow and struck the demon in the eye, making it lose its grip on Sango's weapon. Emily flew in to recover it. The daughter of the bone eating demon created more skeletons to ambush the heroes. As the skeletons continued to close in, Miroku unveiled his wind tunnel to create an escape route, but the poison emanating from the demons was being drawn in as well, causing pain to the monk. When they broke free, Kaiba helped Miroku to conceal his hand again and Emily began using Remedy to heal the poisoning in his body.

Sango knew what it was the demons wanted and that was her weapon. She came up with a bargain. She promised to give her weapon up. In exchange, she wanted Miroku and the others to be spared. The bone eating demons said it was pointless to negotiate. One way or another, they would get what they want and kill their victims. But the demon slayer had a plan. She coated her weapon with a salve that had the capabilities of making demon bones dissolve. After applying the salve, she tossed it in her weapon and the demon caught it in his teeth again, unaware that he had touched the salve and was beginning to dissolve too.

Frightened of her father's fate, the female demon sent the horde of skeletons to attack. Suddenly, Inuyasha came and used his Adamant Barrage to attack the ceiling, creating a hole. Exposed to the sun's light, the demon began turning into a lifeless skeleton and reduce to dust.

"Talk about impeccable timing," Emily commented.

Joey agreed. "Thanks a lot, Inuyasha. If you had gotten here a little later, we all would have been reduced to bones."

Sango looked at her weapon. It had been split in two and it looked like melted candle wax. "I knew this would happen, but I had to apply the poison. It was inevitable."

Miroku apologized. "If only I had been stronger."

"Don't say that, Miroku," Joey said cheerfully. "You saved all of us. And besides, you know Em can heal you. She'll have the poison out of your body in no time."

"But what about the hiraikotsu," Yugi asked with concern. "The damage looks pretty extensive."

"It can be repaired, right?" Joey asked.

"I don't know," Kaiba shrugged. "Demon weapons aren't like human weapons, from what I've learned. Other than that, Sango's weapon was made from the bones of demons. Fixing it may not be an easy task."

Fortunately for Sango, there was a solution. That was when Inuyasha's advisor, Myoga, came along. Myoga was a flea demon who was hardly noticeable, but always came at the opportunity whenever Inuyasha and his friends were in a bind. But because of his cowardice, he didn't stick around for too long. Myoga advised Sango to go see the master of potions. He was a demon who specialized in herbs and potions and would be able to remove the remaining salve from Sango's weapon and repair it.

Far away, the heroes came to a waterfall. Kaiba covered his face. "This place stinks like alcohol."

Joey agreed. "Yeah, but not like the medicinal kind you use to clean wounds. It's like a winery."

At the bottom of the falls were many different jars and pitchers filled to the top. Myoga told Inuyahsa to pick up one of the jugs and dump out the contents. The half-demon turned it over and a man came out. It was the master of potions.

He inspected Sango's weapon and saw that it had been coated with a slave that could dissolve demons. It wasn't beyond his ability to repair it, but he refused. "You've been using this weapon to fight demons for a long time, yet you apply some poison to it without a thought?" He lectured Sango.

"She did it to save us," said Yugi. "And she was concerned for Miroku's well-being."

"It's okay, Yugi," said Sango. "The master of potions is right. There's no excuse for what I did."

"What, so you're just gonna give up now?" Inuyasha asked.

That was when the master of potions changed his mind and agreed to help repair Sango's weapon. That was when he began examining her body. Sango and Miroku weren't comfortable about this, but the master of potions explained. It's one thing for him to repair the weapon, but Sango has other battles going on at the moment.

The master of potions took two jugs from the river and placed them between him and Sango. The demon slayer placed her weapon in one of the jugs. The jug actually contained a poison that was slowly dissolving the weapon, but the master of potion said it would become a remedy. This was where Sango came in. The master of potions told her to jump into the other jug and face a horde of demons. He told her that if she can pacify the demons, then hiraikotsu will be repaired.

Without giving it another thought, Sango jumped into the jar. Strangely, she could breathe though she was swimming in a potion. A horde of demons approached Sango. Thankfully, she kept a sword at her waist as an additional weapon. However, her sword could not deal any damage. Looking closely at the demons, Sango realized that they weren't looking for a battle. Despite being filled with rage, they had no intention of killing her.

Outside, the heroes were getting worried. They weren't sure how to help Sango, but the master pf potions said she was beyond their reach at the moment. If any of them were to jump in the same jar she did, they would come out drunk and insane. The master of potions came before Miroku, sensing poison in his body. Although Emily was able to heal most of it, some small traces remained. Miroku was surprised that the master of potions could detect a small amount of poison.

Miroku showed the master of potions the scar on his right arm, the one he got from taking in so much of Naraku's miasma. He was able to tolerate taking in poison before, but it was now starting to take its toll on the monk. The master of potions could sense that Sango and Miroku's intentions weren't so different. Just as Miroku wouldn't hesitate to use his wind tunnel to save Sango knowing it will endanger his life, the demon slayer wouldn't have a second thought about damaging her weapon to save the monk.

The master of potions created a potion for Miroku. He said the benefit of drinking the potion was that the monk would not be able to feel pain whenever he took in miasma with his wind tunnel. However, it was also a poison that would not stop or reverse the damage he would take. Any poison would spread and reach the monk's heart and he would never recover.

Miroku made up his mind. He knew if he didn't use his wind tunnel, Sango would only push herself harder to compensate for him and he would never forgive himself if he lost her because of that.

Meanwhile, in the potion, the demons began talking to Sango. "Why?" they demanded to know. "Why did you apply poison to us?"

That was when Sango realized that these demons were the demons whose bones were used to create hiraikotsu.

"We have fought by your side from the very beginning," the demons gurgled. "We believed that through countless battles, a bond was forged between us, one that could not be broken. Now you have poisoned us!" And they began attacking her by ramming their bodies against her. "Why do you not resist? Did the master of potions not tell you to slay us?"

Sango wouldn't, not after what she and her weapon had been through together. Other than that, her weapon was once a bunch of demons who had feelings and suffered when they were alive. And now, after being applied with poison, their souls suffered as well. She released her sword and let it fall to the bottom. "Hiraikotsu, if you will accept me, I wish to fight by your side again."

"Then swear that you will never betray us again," the demons demanded. "Swear that next time, you will abandon the human man instead of sacrifice us. Only then shall we return to you as hiraikotsu."

But Sango knew she couldn't promise that. Her weapon was valuable to her, but she loved Miroku and all the risks and sacrifices were worth making for him. "I cannot make that promise. I won't be able to live if he dies."

The demons snorted in disgust. "If you're willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of a human man, then we shall take it now." The horde of demons surrounded Sango and snared her in their grasp. "This is your last chance. Swear that you will never betray us again."

Her answer remained the same. She wouldn't promise them because if she did, she's only break her promise and lose her weapon with no way of recovering it.

"You're willing to sacrifice yourself," the demons said in astonishment to her seriousness. "Does this monk really mean that much to you?"

"He does," Sango answered.

Meanwhile, Miroku began drinking the poison. It was painful for him to take in, but his body had to adapt to the poison in order for it to take effect. The demons sensed it and notified Sango of what was going on. "The monk has taken in poison. He is nothing but a burden on you."

Sango knew, but would never fail to honor Miroku's efforts for her. The monk had risked his life many times to save the demon slayer. There's no reason why Sango shouldn't do the same for him even if the monk is dying. Like Miroku, Sango is fighting to survive so she can have a life with him. She already promised him that she would and she wasn't about to go back on her promise. That was why she was asking the demons to understand and lend their strength to her and the monk.

Sango heard Miroku calling her name. Based on his tone, she sensed he was in pain. His voice illuminated the area and the demons turned into skeletons. "We are demons; therefore we cannot understand human affection and empathy. However, we have just felt the monk's resolve and have decided that we shall support you once more." The skeletons turned into particles of light and became a newly restored hiraikotsu. "We shall fight by your side again," the demons promised.

At the same time, Miroku's pain was lifting. It was like the poison he consumed and the potion Sango was swimming in were connected with their feelings and resolve for each other and that was how all turned out well for the both of them. But whether things turn out for better or worse, Miroku and Sango will have to discover for themselves – no, for each other.


	17. A Complete Meido

A Complete Meido

As the heroes were passing through a valley, Kagome alerted everyone that she could sense a shard of the Sacred Jewel. Emily even sensed a few shards of the Cobalt Star. This sounded troubling. It was Kohaku's Sacred Jewel shard that Kagome was sensing and Emily was sensing Max's Cobalt Star shards. On top of that, Inuyasha picked up Sesshomaru's scent, meaning the three of them were together. This definitely did not sound good.

Sesshomaru followed a strange being promising to reveal the secret of Tenseiga and helping the demon to achieve creating a complete circle of Meido Zangetsuha. He knew it was a trap, but did not care. Either way, he was going to kill whoever it was that summoned him. "Are you so desperate to learn the secret of Tenseiga that you would deliberately walk into a trap?" A masked man named Shishinki asked Sesshomaru.

"How is it that you know about Tenseiga?" The dog demon asked.

"Because long ago, I faced it in battle," Shishinki answered. "Although back then, it looked completely different then than it does now. I remember how it looked when I fought against your father."

Max was astonished to hear that. _Tenseiga looked different in the past?_

Sesshomaru tried to attack Shishinki with his poison claws, but his opponent eluded him. "Your tactics amuse me. You fight without your sword in order to learn its secret? You underestimate me." The masked man demonstrates his own power and forms a complete circle of Meido Zangetsuha.

Max helped Kohaku and Rin get to safety. "Whoa, that was a complete circle, except it's smaller than the one Sesshomaru can produce," Max observed.

"I'll have you know that Meido Zangetsuha was originally my technique," the masked man claimed, "until your father stole it from me. He took it along with my face." He removes his mask, showing that the upper left half of his face is gone.

This disgusted Max. "How can this guy even still be alive? He lost most of his brain, so his body should have stopped functioning and he should have died."

Jaken was becoming irritated with Max's questions. "Well, you yourself aren't entirely human, so you should know demons function differently from humans."

"Be that as it may, my argument should still stand thus," Max snapped.

It was clear to Sesshomaru that his opponent had no intention of telling him the secret to perfecting Meido Zangetsuha. For that matter, he was going to kill him. He tried to attack with his own Meido, but the masked man used his Meido to absorb the attack and remove it.

Finally, the heroes arrived into the fray. Shishinki looked at Tetsusaiga in shock. He tried to attack with Meido Zangetsuha, but the heroes managed to escape. Inuyasha tried to attack with his Windscar, but Shishinki already disappeared.

It was just as Shishinki heard. The Great Dog Demon had two sons and he bequeathed a sword to each of them. The masked man tormented Sesshomaru. "Tell me, shouldn't the elder brother be the one with the Tetsusaiga? Why would your father leave it to your brother instead?"

Sesshomaru had been tormented about that many times, wondering why his father left him Tenseiga and not Tetsusaiga. He had always deemed Inuyasha unworthy of such a powerful weapon that would never be used for its purpose.

Shishinki revealed something neither Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru learned before. Their swords used to be one before they were split into two. When the Great Dog Demon acquired the power of Meido Zangetsuha, he was unable to master it despite being able to comprehend it. So he cast it away by dividing the power of his sword and the sword itself. "Poor Sesshomaru," Shishinki taunted, "it seems your father passed you by in favor of your younger brother."

As if being feeling treated lesser was bad enough, Sesshomaru couldn't understand why his father acquired such a powerful technique only to cast it away.

"Do you understand?" Shishinki asked Sesshomaru. "Because your sword is incomplete, it cannot perform my technique. It is only a part of Tetsusaiga and can never perform a complete Meido." He attacked again, but Inuyasha stopped it with his Windscar. Sesshomaru didn't thank Inuyasha for helping him. He punched his brother and warned him not to interfere.

Some brother, but no one could really blame Sesshomaru for being angry. He began charging towards Shishinki to attack. The masked man started launching a barrage of Meidos, but was unable to stop his opponent. Sesshomaru got close enough to strike Shishinki's face and destroy his mask. Furious, Shishinki launched another barrage of Meidos. Inuyasha stopped them with his Adamant Barrage.

Suddenly, Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga began pulsating to each other's presence. Reluctantly, Sesshomaru drew his sword and swung it, unleashing a complete circle of Meido Zangetsuha and absorbing Shishinki's attack and pulling him into the underworld.

Everyone was awestruck. "I've never seen anything like that," Kaiba gasped in astonishment.

"Yeah, but just think, it could have taken Inuyasha and Sesshomaru with that guy," said Joey.

Inuyasha was hesitant at first, but he gathered his courage and spoke up to his older brother. "Sesshomaru, that was a complete circle. I can assume that means you've mastered Tenseiga, right? Look, Father died before I was old enough to even remember him, but all those things Shishinki said about Tenseiga being cast off from Tetsusaiga couldn't be true, could they? Father had faith in you that you would be able to master Tenseiga and because you were a full demon."

"You know, Inuyasha's assumptions make a lot of sense," Emily wondered. "Being a half-demon, Inuyasha probably wouldn't be able to fully comprehend the incredible demonic energy of that attack."

"You think that's the real reason their father split Tetsusaiga?" Joey asked.

Yugi agreed. "He had faith in Sesshomaru and it was to protect Inuyasha."

"What concern is it to you?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Because I'm sick and tired of you giving me trouble because of this sword," Inuyasha barked.

"I was asking the princess," Sesshomaru retorted.

Emily gasped. Did Sesshomaru know who she was because of Max? No, surely there were many demons in this world who were familiar with the history of the age of the Shadow Games and knew about the Heroes of Millennia. "Please don't mind me. I have a tendency to think out loud and can't always help it. But if I'm wrong, you can tell me."

"Don't worry about it, Emily," Inuyasha told her. He faces his brother again. "Can't we just agree that Tenseiga is your proper inheritance from Father and leave it be?"

"Princess Emily," Sesshomaru said sternly. Emily tensed at his tone. "I was only able to perform a complete circle because Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga responded to one another. Also, Inuyasha and I are destined to fight each other until the day we die just as you and Max are."

That was true. As long as the girls were bound by the Stars, they would continue to battle each other on behalf of the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord and one of them would have to kill the other.

Up ahead, Rin heard and asked Max, "Is what Lord Sesshomaru said true, Lady Max? Do you and the princess have to fight until one of you dies?"

At first, Max was hesitant to answer, but she didn't want to lie to the girl either. Honestly, she didn't like the idea either. "Sadly, Rin, it's true. Whether Emily and I like it or not, we must fight and one of us is going to have to kill the other."

Rin didn't like the sound of that. She didn't want Max to die. It was also hard for her to imagine ever killing anybody.

Max decided to change the subject. "Kohaku, shouldn't you at least talk to your sister before we go?"

He didn't want to, but not out of selfishness. He wanted to try and avoid more heartache than he and his sister should have to bear. "No, we should keep up with Lord Sesshomaru." Max understood and agreed. She went with the children as they followed Sesshomaru. Sango looked on in sadness for her brother.


	18. The Hands that hold Kohaku's Fate

The Hands that hold Kohaku's Fate

While Sesshomaru was gone for the moment, Max and the others waited in the woods. Max and Rin continued to sing and play with each other, much to Jaken's irritation. Kohaku remained silent. Suddenly, Max stopped herself, sensing a dangerous presence. Kohaku sensed it too with his Sacred Jewel shard.

Suddenly, Naraku appeared behind the boy. "Kohaku, it's been a while," he greeted grimly. He turns his attention to Max and says, "And Lady Max, I wondered when I would be seeing you. You did not think you could elude me forever, now did you?"

"No," she answered. "I knew we would cross paths eventually."

"What do you want?" Kohaku demanded. "Have you come for my shard?"

"Of course," Naraku answered. "Your Shikon Jewel shard just happens to be the last one. Once I have it, the Shikon Jewel will be complete. What will you do, Kohaku? Kikyo is no longer around to protect you and purify your shard. Even the princess does not have the power to do it."

As Naraku reached for Kohaku, Max protected him by attacking with her Dark Force. Naraku was displeased. "Lady Max, using the Dark Lord's power against your brethren to protect this boy? It's almost as nauseating as you using it to protect Millennia's warriors."

"Run, Kohaku," Max cried. The boy agreed and began running. Riding on a two-headed dragon-horse called A and Un, Rin reached for Kohaku's hand and pulled him up. Max kept her attention on Naraku. Right now, she had to keep this monster from going after the children. "I know it's not just the Sacred Jewel you're after. You're interested in my Cobalt Star shards too, aren't you?"

"Impressive," Naraku sneered. "I am not the only one who has had the same idea. Surely our other brothers must have told you the same thing. If I recall, Chase Young said he wanted your shards as well, did he not?"

"The Dark Lord is not my father and you and the rest of his minions are not my brethren," Max barked.

Naraku scoffed. "You disappoint us, Lady Max. Using the Dark Lord's power to aid the enemy and fight us is disgraceful. That is why I must seize your Cobalt Star shards."

"I'm afraid it's not that easy for you," Max reminded him. "You can't just _take_ my shards by force. Bound by the Cobalt Star shard you have, you are also bound to the laws of the ancient ways. And we both know that those laws are absolute. You must battle me and defeat me." She smiles and sneers, "However, it'll just be another battle that you cannot win."

Naraku grinned back. "We'll see about that." A cloud of miasma formed around him and he began his pursuit of the children. He wouldn't be able to escape from Max, though. She would be able to keep up with him as long as she could sense his Cobalt Star shard.

Rin and Kohaku continued to get further away from Naraku, but escape was futile. He found them and started catching up to them. He reached his demonic tentacles towards Kohaku. "What's he trying to do?" Rin asked.

"He's going to try and cut off my head and take it with him," Kohaku assumed.

Max wouldn't let him. She used her Air Blast attack to create shurikens of wind and cut the tentacles. She also knew that if Naraku came close to touching Kohaku's Jewel shard, it would lose its purity and become defiled. And with that small spark of light gone, the Jewel would never be purified. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long, however, so she told the others her plan. "We need to split up. Kohaku, you stay with me. Jaken, keep Rin on that demon and take her to safety."

"I won't leave you," Rin protested.

"This isn't for debate right now," Max shouted.

"You're in no position to be worrying about your friends," Naraku cackled as he continued his pursuit. He managed to get close enough to release his miasma and stop everyone. It was stifling for Max. With her powers as a fox, her nose was sensitive to the miasma. She took a piece of fabric and used to cover her face like a mask. Kohaku put his poison shielding mask over Rin's face. Jaken and A and Un were able to withstand the miasma.

Kohaku felt the shard being defiled again, meaning Naraku was about to manipulate him again like he did many times before. "Lady Max, take Rin away from here," he begged.

Max had the same feeling. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to prevent Naraku from manipulating Kohaku. His shape started coming in clear as he approached everyone. "Do not be afraid. You will no longer have to suffer when I'm through with you."

"You'll never have him," Max vowed. Suddenly, she started sensing the Millennium Star.

At that instant, Sango and Emily came through the miasma. Sango was wearing her poison shielding mask while Emily was protected by the pure power of the Millennium Star. "Sango, Princess Emily," Naraku greeted. "If you truly care for Kohaku, you'll let him rest in peace."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sango spat.

"Do you not understand? Death is the only way to save Kohaku's soul from its torment."

"No, Naraku," Emily protested. "To me, that means forcing him to take the easy way and run from his problems."

Naraku chuckled in amusement. "You're as naïve as ever, young princess. Always seeing the good in the bad, thinking there's always a way to overcome anything."

"If you knew what I've been through-,"

"Oh, but I do know," he interrupted. "The battles you fought, the foes you faced, the fears that tormented you. There's nothing about you that I don't already know. But think about it, Kohaku has been saved from my control, yet he and his sister cannot be together. Why is that?"

Emily said nothing. Even Sango was unable to answer. Naraku decided to tell them. "It's because he's avoiding you, Sango, you his loving and devoted sister. But who can blame him? After all, you saw every shameful act he committed."

The times Sango witnessed Kohaku murder innocent people in cold blood began flashing before her eyes. She recalled how her brother killed their father and comrades back at Naraku's castle and how he killed many royal soldiers and handmaids in another castle while under Naraku's influence.

"Like it or not, your presence reminds Kohaku of his hateful past," Naraku told Sango.

Finally, Sango spoke up. "Is that all you have to say to me, that Kohaku is avoiding me? I already knew that. Kohaku may have been under your control, but it doesn't change the fact that he killed our father and comrades in cold blood. I relive that day over and over again just as Kohaku must. I know he feels anguish and shame for what he did and that is why I will not let him die. Emily's right. The easy way is not the right way. I can't let my brother keep running from this painful torment no matter how much more pain it may cause."

"So until Kohaku can fight his pain and be free, we will continue to fight and protect him," Emily declared.

Naraku chuckled in amusement. "Your resolve is admirable, though sadly, it won't be of much use to you."

Kohaku groaned as he felt the pain from the Jewel shard again. "Sister, Princess, please get out of here," he begged. He grasped his weapon and tossed it towards the girls. Thankfully, Emily was able to conjure up a Lucid Barrier to protect her and Sango from weapon attacks.

_How clever_, Naraku observed._ The princess used her Lucid Barrier. Now Kohaku's weapon can't touch them. It's also interesting that Kohaku is able to speak while under the control of my demonic energy. _He spoke and asked, "What will you and the princess do, Sango? How will you expect to save Kohaku now?"

Sango had enough. She tossed her hiraikotsu at Naraku and much to her surprise and even his, it managed to cut through him. The weapon was emanating a strange power that was harmful to demons. Naraku was even finding it hard to recover. This was Emily's chance. She attacked with her Lucent Beam, dealing even more damage. She was able to wound him, but not kill him. Once again, Naraku surrounded himself in miasma and escaped.

Finally, the miasma cleared and the rest of the heroes arrived after being held back by Byakuya. "Sango, Emily, are you girls all right?" Yugi asked.

"We are," the blonde answered. "Sango, that was amazing," she told the demon slayer. "Hiraikotsu couldn't do that before."

Even she was impressed. "I didn't expect that."

"It must have been the work of the master of potions," Kaiba assumed. "He did tell you that when your weapon was restored, it would have a new ability. It can take in demonic energy and destroy it."

Inuyahsa turned around. "Hey, Max," he greeted. "How long have you been here?"

"For a while," she answered. "We were lucky when Emily and Sango showed up."

Kohaku was still on the ground. Rin was trying to help him come to. Kagome sensed that Kohaku's Jewel shard was defiled. She knew she didn't have the same level of spiritual power as Kikyo, but she thought she could help purify it.

Max called Emily over. The blonde approached her. Max decided to get to the point. "We both know that Kohaku's life is sustained by the Jewel shard and one day, it will be removed from his body."

Emily already knew. "Thinking about it scares Sango more than it worries the rest of us."

"You can save him," Max told her. "You know that one spell."

Emily softly gasped. She knew what spell Max was talking about, but she had never performed it under any circumstances. Other than that, she wasn't sure if it would work because of Kohaku's situation. "Max, I can't guarantee that it'll work. I don't want to give Sango false hope."

"It may be Kohaku's only chance," Max whispered. "The instant the Jewel shard is removed, do not hesitate." Before Emily can say anything, Max tells her, "I'll help. You get ready to use the spell, I'll tell you when, and you do it immediately."

It did seem like Kohaku's only chance, but Emily didn't want to try to help Sango only to end up hurting her. After giving it some thought, Emily agreed with Max. "Okay, I'll do it."

Max was pleased to hear that. She also promised to keep this just between the two of them. Meanwhile, they decided to check on Kohaku. "Kohaku, do you still plan on using your Sacred Jewel shard to defeat Naraku?" Max asked.

His mind hadn't changed. "There's still some light in the shard. I think it may be Kikyo's light. When Naraku was about to take it, its purity was trying to fight against it."

Kagome had been thinking the same thing, that Kikyo's power remained in that single shard. She also wondered if it had to do with the image Kanna showed her when she died.

Rin spoke up. "Naraku said he was going to take Kohaku's head and once he did that, he could slowly defile the shard."

"Rin," Kohaku snapped. He faces his sister and tells her, "I know my Jewel shard can cause pain to Naraku because it has Kikyo's light."

"I wonder," Emily said softly. She began thinking about when she combined her magic with Kagome's arrow to purify the Sacred Jewel when it was in Kikyo's possession. "I don't think it's just Kikyo's light, but Millennia's light too. Kagome, remember when you shot your arrow at Kikyo and I used my Light Saber spell? I think a small spark of Millennia's light as well as Kikyo's might still remain in the Sacred Jewel."

It made sense to Kagome. Kikyo wanted her and Emily to protect Kohaku's Jewel shard. This had to be why she was putting faith in the both of them. After all, Naraku does have a shard of the Cobalt Star as well, so it's understandable that Kikyo would also want Millennia's light to be combined with her spiritual power to purify the Sacred Jewel.

"It doesn't matter," Max snapped. "Kohaku, this isn't a battle you can face on your own."

"Max's right," said Sango. "You're weak of heart and strength. That's why Naraku can take advantage of you. If you fight alone, you don't stand a chance against him."

"Kikyo left you her power in your shard not to sacrifice it," Max told him. "Like all of us, she wanted you to survive."

Kohaku knew everyone around him was right. His resolve wasn't going the right way and he really needed their help. As determined as he was to destroy Naraku, Kohaku needed the strength and wisdom of his sister and friends. And he would not let Kikyo's sacrifice be in vain.


	19. Let Two Be One

Let Two Be One

Rin was delighted to see Sesshomaru coming. He stopped before his younger brother and drew his sword from its sheath. "Draw your sword, Inuyasha," he commanded.

Inuyasha was baffled. "Sesshomaru, what's going on here? Have you lost your mind?" It wasn't really a smart question to ask. The two brothers had always been battling with each other. Other than that, Sesshomaru challenged Inuyasha to confirm a suspicion or two; especially about the whole setup being another one of Naraku's traps.

"Silence," the elder brother barked. "I said, 'draw.'"

Inuyasha scoffed. "You're still hung up about Tetsusaiga, aren't you?" Sesshomaru didn't answer. He swung his sword and unleashed a Meido at Inuyasha. The younger brother dodged and grunted. "If that's how it's gonna be, then I won't hold back either, ya bastard!" he growled, drawing his sword.

Tetsusaiga's reflection appeared on Tenseiga and Sesshomaru's sword began to glow. Inuyasha tried to unleash his Windscar, but nothing happened. Then Tenseiga took on the image of Tetsusaiga.

"Look at that," Yugi gasped in astonishment.

"This is like the same trick Kanna pulled," said Kaiba. "But how did Sesshomaru get that power?"

Sesshomaru unleashed the Windscar on Inuyasha, but his younger brother dodged.

"What's going on, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha demanded. "Why can I smell Naraku's scent on your sword?"

"Actually, that would be _my_ scent," Byakuya's voice answered. Everyone looked up and saw him in the sky sitting on his origami crane. "As you observed, Kaiba, I passed a fragment of Kanna's mirror demon on to Sesshomaru's sword."

"That confirms that, then," Kaiba growled.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why," Rin cried. "While you were gone, Naraku tried to kill Kohaku! He's evil! You can't trust him! Don't listen to what he says!"

"There's no point, Rin," Max told her. "You should know Sesshomaru better than that. Nothing can change his mind."

"Still, I can't believe Lord Sesshomaru would borrow Naraku's power," said Kohaku.

Byakuya took out a flask and sprayed something around the area surrounding the two brothers. The liquid took on the shape of the moon and disappeared, taking the two demons with it. Sango tried to attack Byakuya with her hiraikotsu, but he vanished instantly.

"Now what?" Joey asked. "We have no idea where Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are or what's going on."

It turned out that the moon was just a mode of transportation to bring the two brothers to an alternate dimension. It was just the two of them with no one to distract them. Inuyasha was disappointed in his elder brother. It was a cold fact of nature that Sesshomaru was senseless, but he never thought that his older brother would sink this low. It wasn't the first time Sesshomaru allowed himself to be part of Naraku's scheme, but this was still a new loath.

Sesshomaru was just as disappointed in his younger brother. It was a cold fact of nature that Inuyasha was pathetic and undeserving of Tetsusaiga. He unleashed the Adamant Barrage, displeased with the extent of his brother's power and having expected more. Inuyasha was protected by the barrier created by Tetsusaiga's sheathe, but Sesshomaru cut through it using the power of the red Tetsusaiga.

"Prove it to me, Inuyasha, that you are the rightful heir to Tetsusaiga," Sesshomaru demanded. "If you only continue to prove to me that you are weak, I'll have to kill you and get rid of Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga for good."

Inuyasha scoffed. "So you're telling me that if I win, you'll let this go?"

In a manner of speaking, yes, but that would all just depend on how the battle would go. Sesshomaru unleashed the Windscar once again. It would take some time before Inuyasha's sheathe could produce a barrier again. Until then, his sword would have to be his shield. But Inuyasha lost his footing and slipped into a demonic lake.

Everyone continued to worry about Sesshomaru and Inuyasha and wonder how the battle was going. As if on cue, Totosai appeared riding on his three-eyed bull. He told the heroes that they could see the battle too, so he struck his bull on the head and its three eyes began projecting the scene like it was a movie.

Riding on a demon, Inuyasha came out of the lake and raised his sword to attack. Looking at Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru saw that his demonic nature was starting to take over. It was of no concern to him. Sesshomaru had battled against his brother in his demonic state before and showed no fear. It also seemed to Sesshomaru that it wouldn't make any difference.

Suddenly, Inuyasha began to feel demonic energy flowing inside of him. It seemed that not all of Tetsusaiga's demonic powers were stolen. Sesshomaru's sword began resonating as well. When their blades crossed, even more demonic energy began flowing into Inuyasha's body. With the demonic energy he acquired, Inuyasha was able to unleashe the Windscar, but Sesshomaru sent it back to him with the Backlash Wave. As he saw the attack coming back, Inuyasha countered with the Backlash Wave as well. The collision of the blasts created pillars of water and scattered many demons.

He charged in hoping to take back the rest of the demonic power, but Sesshomaru unleashed his Meido Zangetsuha. Inuyasha felt himself being pulled in and was trying to hold on, but there was nothing he could do.

It seemed like this was it for Sesshomaru. While the path to the underworld was still open, Sesshomaru did the same thing his father did and cast his sword away. When he did, the two swords began resonating again. Inuyasha's blade took on the form of Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha wondered, was his sword telling him to cut through his own demon vortex? Putting all of his faith in Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha raises his sword and begins cutting through his demon vortex. As he does, he begins to feel the demonic energy flowing through him and his sword. Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's display, deciding that this was evident enough that his younger brother was the rightful heir to Tetsusaiga.

Just when it seemed like Inuyasha had found a way out of this predicament, Sesshomaru's sword unleashed adamant spears and attacked from behind. Apparently, Naraku was able to control the sword because the mirror demon Kanna controlled was a part of him just like Kanna herself.

Even Sesshomaru saw that Naraku was using his sword to attack Inuyasha and jumped in to the path to the underworld. He gripped the hilt of his sword to stop the attack. He knew Naraku was giving him the opportunity to end this once and for all, but Sesshomaru was going to do it his own way by no longer playing into his hands. "Raise your sword, Inuyasha."

"As if you had to ask," he snarled. He was still wounded from the adamant spears in his body, but he wasn't going to let it hold him back. Their blades began crossing and the fragments of Kanna's mirror demon began coming off of Tenseiga. At that moment, Tetsusaiga broke through Tenseiga, splitting it in half. It also turned black and star-studded.

Inuyasha didn't have the strength to wonder about his new power. The adamant spears in his body began releasing Naraku's miasma, stunning him. Sesshomaru removed the adamant spears and punched his brother, trying to bring him back to his senses. Inuyasha opened his eyes.

"The path has been closed," Sesshomaru warned his brother. "Will we stay here or will we find some way to return to the world of the living?"

To Inuyasha, his brother sounded like he was testing him. Either way, he was right. They had to find a way to escape or allow themselves to be trapped. Inuyasha now had the power of Meido Zangetsuha and he had to figure out on his own how to use it before their bodies would fade away completely.

Tetsusaiga began pulsating again. Inuyasha saw a light coming from the path beyond the world beyond. He wondered, was his sword telling him to strike where he saw the light? It seemed to be his only chance. Once more, he put his faith in his sword, swung it, and created a path back to the world of the living.

Inuyasha fell to the ground in fatigue. Emily began using her magic to heal him and replenish his strength. Sesshomaru was greeted by his companions with relief. Totosai advised Sesshomaru that although Tenseiga's power had been absorbed by Tetsusaiga, it still had its healing power and it would be best to hold on to it.

"Wait a minute," Max was saying, "I just saw the sword split in half. How can it be whole again?"

That was when it made sense to Inuyasha. The light he saw beyond the world beyond came from Tenseiga. It was Sesshomaru's sword that revealed the way out.

Totosai pulled the sword up from the ground. "You may not be satisfied with a sword that cannot cut, but it is still a powerful sword that heals."

Sesshomaru was disgusted at the idea. "So what? Am I supposed to take it and go around healing people now?" He turned around and began walking off.

Rin asked to hold on to the sword for the moment. "I'll give it to him when he's in a better mood," she promised.

Max shrugged. "He may never know. There may come a time when he may need it again."

"You're going to stick with him?" Emily asked.

"For the moment," she answered. "Kohaku will too, so I think it'd be best if I kept an eye on the boy. You can tell Sango that rest assured, her brother will be better protected while I'm around."

"Good idea," said Emily. She trusted Max and thought that Kohaku would be in good hands with her around. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sesshomaru, but it was because of their agreement. "I'm sure we'll cross paths again." And the girls grasped hands and wished each other well.

For the first time, Inuyasha felt sympathy for his elder brother. That was when he asked Totosai, "What's going to happen to Sesshomaru? Everything our father gave us is now mine. He has nothing left."

The swordsmith wasn't too concerned. "If I were you, I'd worry less about my brother and more about mastering my new Tetsusaiga."

"He has a point," said Kaiba. "After witnessing its display of destructive power, you're going to need to learn to use Meido Zangetsuha carefully."

Inuyasha knew they were right. If he hadn't been guided by Tenseiga's light, he never would have been able to create a path back to the world of the living.

Yugi spoke up. "Master Totosai, you talk about demon swords like they have feelings. I've noticed that about you."

"Well, in a sense, they do," the swordsmith replied. "As you already know, my boy, demons swords aren't like ordinary weapons. Take Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, for instance. They were created from the fang of the Great Dog Demon. You could say that a part of him lives in the swords and is watching over Sesshomaru and Inuyasha."

"He has a point," Inuyasha said in agreement. "Our swords will sometimes act according to their own will. Or maybe the will of our father. That's what makes it seem like our swords are trying to tell us something, like what they want us to do. Our father may be gone, but through our swords, he's still with us, guiding and protecting us."

After witnessing Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's battle, Emily began reflecting on her battles with Max. In many ways, they had a lot in common. _Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, they're like me and Max. They have a fierce rivalry, yet every time they battle, they seem to help each other and benefit from one another. I wonder if Max wonders the same thing._

Max was wandering in her own thoughts as well. _Every time Sesshomaru challenges Inuyasha, he seems to end up helping his brother more than harming him. It's like every time Sesshomaru has something he wants to confirm, he ends up testing Inuyasha's caliber and inner strength. I also think he realizes that more than he cares to admit. That's just like what I do for Emily._


	20. What's in a Name?

What's in a Name?

Once again, Kagome saw Naraku's spider threads in the sky connecting somewhere nearby. The heroes stopped at a stairwell leading to a shrine. Before going up the stairs, they asked the villagers if anything happened. They answered that just a few days ago, Lady Hitomiko, the village priestess was attacked and killed by a demon. Just like with Kikyo, her body was being consumed and destroyed by Naraku's threads from the inside. As she laid on her deathbed, Hitomiko decreed that her head be severed from her body and buried in a separate location. None of the villagers could find it in their hearts to carry out her last wish, so she was buried without being beheaded.

Just then, a young woman came by. To the villagers' fright, it was Lady Hitomiko. Inuyasha could tell she was dead based on her scent. Kagome also saw her body surrounded with spider threads. "I gather you must be Kagome," Hitomiko assumed, looking directly at her. "Listen to me, Kagome, you must leave this place immediately. Turn away and never look back," she demanded. "Otherwise, I will have to kill you."

"Is that supposed to scare us?" Inuyasha asked, drawing his sword.

Hitomiko was being pulled back by the threads. "You are a fool. Nothing can separate me from these webs."

It was now clear to Kagome that Hitomiko's body was being controlled by Naraku. Inuyasha decided that the best thing to do would be to recover the dead priestess's remains.

That night, when the heroes returned to the shrine, they saw even more spider threads. Inuyasha was unable to cut them down, but Sango's hiraikotsu was able to. The weapon was unable to get past the gate, however. It was sealed by a barrier. Looking closely, Kagome saw the threads being held together by bells. She shot an arrow at one of the bells, destroying it, unaware that this was part of Hitomiko's plan.

"We are connected," Hitomiko whispered, and Kagome began to be pulled in to the shrine. Her friends followed, but were unable to break through. A barrier created by a priestess can only be destroyed by a priestess. Hitomiko stood before Kagome, holding the arrow she shot. "I don't understand it. What point is there in stealing your feeble power?" And she destroyed the arrow in her hand. "I wonder what Naraku was hoping to accomplish?"

"Lady Hitomiko, I came to your shrine because I want to save you," Kagome cried.

Hitomiko wasn't convinced. She used her spiritual power to wound Kagome's shoulders and trap her in a ring of her own blood. "Kagome, do you think it was by chance that you were given the name 'Kagome'? That name you bear holds a special power; a power hidden within you since the day you were born."

Kagome didn't know what Hitomiko was talking about. For all she assumed, a name was just a name.

"You are no more than a bird in a cage," Hitomiko recited from a song she heard from her childhood. "You shall never leave." Kagome was trapped in the ring, but she was still able to gather her strength and move. Behind Hitomiko, she saw Naraku and reached for her arrow. She shot, but only cut a few threads. Now Hitomiko understood what Naraku was really after. It wasn't Kagome herself, but the power of the bow she obtained at Mt. Azusa. "If I'm not mistaken, that bow was meant to be used by another," Hitomiko mused. "One who would be able to master it."

Kagome was still confused. Was this dead priestess referring to Kikyo?

"You merely aim and release with it, unable to harness its spiritual power," continued Hitomiko. "And yet you believe you can save me? Leave the bow here and be on your way. Do so and your life will be spared. Take it with you and you will die."

Suddenly, more threads came and snared Hitomiko by her neck. Naraku's voice echoed in the room. "Spare her life, will you? Then you leave me no choice." Kagome drew her bow again, but Hitomiko told her to cease. Naraku's voice was heard again, telling Kagome to aim for her chest. Kagome looked and saw a spider in Hitomiko's chest. "Shoot your arrow for her chest. Do so, and Hitomiko will die and you will be saved."

Kagome refused. Hitomiko used her spiritual power to sever the threads holding her and wound Kagome again. "You leave me no choice but to kill you." She approached the ring and smeared her fingertip with Kagome's blood. She placed her finger against her lips and exhaled, turning the ring into one of fire. Kagome shot her arrow once more, aiming for the bells in Hitomiko's hand. The bells came apart and Kagome was free from the trap. Hitomiko wouldn't allow her to escape. She picked up a few bells and tossed them to connect more spider threads to trap Kagome.

Naraku's voice echoed again. "You cannot escape Hitomiko's barrier. The only way out is for you to destroy her. Will you allow her to kill you or will you shoot the spider nesting in her and win your freedom? Before you can choose, I must warn you that if you shoot Hitomiko with your sacred arrow, her soul can never be saved. She will die a demon and so will her soul. She will be cursed to join my spider webs in the fires of Hell for all eternity. Now that I've told you this, if you should choose to shoot Hitomiko, your heart will be corrupted for all eternity as well."

With Kagome's heart corrupted, she would be consumed by the threads as well and slowly be killed by Naraku. But if she allowed Hitomiko to kill her, Naraku would still gain her spiritual powers. So in either case, Naraku would win and get what he wanted. But Kagome would not give in to him. The bells released drops of Kagome's blood. When they touched the floor, they turned into fire. Kagome started running, hoping to escape. She continued to run until the floor came apart at her feet and she fell and got caught in Naraku's spider threads.

Looking down, she saw demons and corpses. Hitomiko told her she was on the brink of the abyss. "Answer me, why were you given the name 'Kagome'? If you cannot understand why, you will be trapped here for all eternity." Kagome tried to free herself, but more threads surrounded her and caught fire. "Can you feel the pain? Are you burning up?" Hitomiko asked. "Though you are surrounded in fire, these flames will never kill you. You will still suffer from them for all eternity."

Kagome thought back as hard as she could. She remembered asking her mother the same question long ago, why she was given the name 'Kagome'. Mrs. Higurashi answered that when Kagome was born, she saw a starlight shape on her chest and as it turned out, the shape is called 'Kagome'. Then Kagome wondered if her mother saw the light of the Sacred Jewel when her daughter was born. This confirmed that the Sacred Jewel had lived inside of Kagome ever since the day she was born.

There was more to it than that. There was also a game called 'Kagome'. One child had to sit in the center and cover his or her eyes while the children surrounding him or her would move and sing. And when the song was over, the one in the center had to guess who was behind them. Kagome was always picked to be the one in the center and every time she guessed who was behind her, she always guessed correctly.

Kagome wondered, was this the power of her name that Hitomiko was talking about? Seeing who was behind her? If so, then if she can combine her spiritual power with the power of her bow, then there just might be a way to save herself and Hitomiko. Kagome looked at the spider again and saw a starlight shape like the one her mother saw. She drew the bow again and took an arrow from her quiver. She shot the arrow, but it disappeared before it could come into contact with the spider. Suddenly, the arrow reappeared behind Hitomiko and continued its path to its true target: Naraku. He was the one Kagome saw behind her and Hitomiko. After Naraku was shot, Hitomiko's spiritual power began giving off immense energy.

Kagome opened her eyes and found herself back on the shrine grounds. She also saw Lady Hitomiko standing in front of her, smiling gently. "You are a true mystery," the priestess told her. "You combined your own spiritual power along with the power of the bow to shatter the evil presence that bound me. You saved me, Kagome. However, it was only in the moment that you released the arrow that your power became visible. Something is sealing your true power. What it is, I do not know." Suddenly, Hitomiko fell. Kagome managed to catch her in her arms.

The priestess smiled again. "Kagome, you truly are such a mysterious person; the source of your power and even your name." Then she closed her eyes one last time, still smiling. Finally, Kagome's friends arrived only to see that she was safe and the priestess had now passed on.

The villagers were happy and relieved that Lady Hitomiko could finally rest in peace. Now they could erect a memorial to her and give her a proper funeral.

As they left the village, Kagome thought about what Hitomiko said and wondered who or what was sealing her powers.


	21. The Demon Within Set Free

The Demon Within Set Free

After traveling the countryside for weeks, the heroes returned to the village near the Bone-Eaters Well to recuperate. Inuyasha went to the residence that belonged to Kikyo. Her younger sister, Kaede, who was now an elderly woman, still resided in the house and continued serving as the village priestess. Kaede had learned of her elder sister's fate and suffered a greater heartache than she did when Kikyo first died fifty years ago. She also empathized deeply with Inuyasha and agreed that he had suffered as much.

Outside, Kagome changed out of her school uniform and was dressed in the traditional attire of a priestess. She hung her clothes near the tree to dry after washing them. She still couldn't understand who or what was sealing her spiritual power.

Kaede wondered if it was the Shikon Jewel itself that was sealing Kagome's power. Before Kikyo's spirit was laid to rest, she was lent the power of the legendary warrior Midoriko and her will had been taking over. However, within the Sacred Jewel alongside Midoriko were the souls of the many demons who fought against her. The combined souls of the demons was an evil presence was known as Magatsuhi. Now that Midoriko's will was no longer with the Sacred Jewel, it was able to act on the will of Magatsuhi. Kaede wondered if it was the will of Magatsuhi trying to suppress Kagome's power.

Far away in a cave, Naraku held the Jewel and tried speaking to Magatsuhi. "You must act now. If you continue to idly stand by, the soul of Midoriko and Millennia's light will attempt to purify the Sacred Jewel. Even the Dark Lord's power will not be enough to keep it defiled." Naraku wondered if Magatsuhi needed a body of his own, so he offered up some of his own flesh for the evil entity to manifest. Magatsuhi emerged from Naraku's body and fled from the cave.

Back in the village, Kagome changed back into her clothes when suddenly, she felt an evil presence. The rest of the heroes felt it too.

Inuyasha and his friends weren't the only ones sensing the evil presence. Far away, Sesshomaru and his group found themselves standing before a malformed creature. It was Magatsuhi. He had come to take Kohaku's Jewel shard. Max wouldn't let him. She used her Dark Force spell to attack Magatsuhi. Sesshomaru no longer had a sword, but he still had his brute strength. His arm went through Magatsuhi's body, but the evil creature felt no pain. He was about to grasp Sesshomaru in his limbs, but the dog demon escaped.

Kohaku got an idea. If this creature was sent by Naraku, then he shouldn't be able to harm the boy because his Jewel Shard was purified by Kikyo. Unfortunately, his theory did not apply to Magatsuhi. The evil creature came into contact with Kohaku's Jewel shard and began defiling it. Max used her Gem Missile attack to pierce Magatsuhi's arm with jeweled spears. After that, she flew in to rescue Kohaku.

At that time, the heroes arrived. "Max, are you all right?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, but that demon took me by surprise," she said, looking at Magatsuhi.

Kagome began trying to purify Kohaku's Jewel shard, but when Magatsuhi glared at her, he stopped her. She suddenly fell and lost consciousness.

"Take Kohaku and leave," Sesshomaru commanded the others. "He is in the way. And so are you," he said, looking at Emily.

The blonde knew it was pointless to argue with Sesshomaru. It was a cold fact of nature that he was ruthless and no one could persuade him otherwise. Other than that, even though Emily was a princess, she had no power over Sesshomaru. No one did.

"Hold on," Max cried, "you're too badly injured," she said, noticing how badly scorched his arm was.

"You underestimate me," he told her. He held out his arm and began recovering. After that, he took on his true form. It didn't matter how many times Max saw Sesshomaru in the form of a dog. She was always astonished with his transformation and wished she had the power to transform into a great beast just as he did.

Sesshomaru bit off Magatsuhi's head, but the evil creature was still alive. His body released a miasma and tentacles came out trying to reach for Kohaku. Max used her Air Blast to cut the tentacles so the others could escape. To Magatsuhi, it didn't matter how often he would be attacked or in what way since this wasn't his own body. That was when he finally introduced himself and began wrapping his body around Sesshomaru.

But Sesshomaru would not allow himself to be devoured by filthy vermin. He took on his human form again and escaped from Magatsuhi's grasp.

Max growled and told Sesshomaru, "I know you don't want help from us, but I can't let you die!"

Emily was astonished to hear Max say that. _If I didn't know better, I'd think Max had a crush on Sesshomaru. Why am I thinking that? I should be saying the same thing to her!_ She flies ahead and attacks with Lucent Beam. To Magatsuhi, that attack was almost as painful as Midoriko's spiritual power.

With Magatsuhi's body scattered everywhere, the others were at risk for attack even from their own allies. Sesshomaru began gathering the remains in one place. "It's almost surprising to see Sesshomaru put himself in harm's way for others," Max wondered.

It wasn't surprising to Rin. "Not really. Lord Sesshomaru's a good person once you get to know him."

After gathering enough of Magatsuhi's body parts in one place, Sesshomaru decided to leave the rest to the others and deal with the evil entity himself. For the dog demon, his pride was at stake. As he got close enough to the creature's head, Sesshomaru caught the scent of something differen't from Naraku's scent. To everyone's surprise, he drew Tenseiga and cut through a force that was not part of this world, revealing Magatsuhi's true form. The evil creature was a ghostly face.

Magatsuhi wasn't going to give Sesshomaru the opportunity to kill him. He used the parts of his body as a shield against Tenseiga. He also attacked by sending his arm through Sesshomaru's body. Once more, Magatsuhi began attempting to devour the dog demon.

Inuyasha had enough and began attacking the body parts. Like Max, Inuyasha wasn't going to let Sesshomaru die. He knew his older brother didn't want his help, but he didn't care. _Are you so proud that you won't accept help from the one who took Meido Zangetsuha or from a fox girl who goes out of her way from you? You idiot!_

Magatsuhi began snaring Inuyasha in his grasp. "What's wrong? Why don't you use that splendid sword of yours to blast it to pieces," the evil creature asked.

Inuyasha wouldn't do it. He wouldn't sacrifice Sesshomaru. Knowing that, Emily cut the tentacles with her Lucent Beam spell. "Joey, draw your bow."

"Right," he agreed. He held his bow out to her and Emily began using her magic to power it up. The bow was now filled with light magic. Joey shot one of his arrows and it made its way to Magatsuhi like a laser, attacking him.

Suddenly, a light began illuminating inside the mass of body parts. Sesshomaru was breaking free. The light was also coming from where his left arm was severed after his first battle with Inuyasha. A new arm appeared along with a new sword called Baksaiga. The sword's power was destroying the mass of body parts, making it impossible for Magatsuhi to regenerate. Also, body parts that weren't unscathed were being destroyed by coming into contact with the remains that were.

Magatsuhi's body was destroyed, but the evil entity was still alive and able to escape. Sesshomaru marveled at his new weapon. It was not one that belonged to his father. No, this was his own blade waiting to be released. In the beginning, Sesshomaru's obsession with wanting to obtain Tetsusaiga as his own costed him his left arm. But by letting go of his obsession and his loss of his arm, he achieved a great victory by earning back his arm and his own sword. In addition, Sesshomaru has surpassed his father with this achievement.

Emotions run deep in demons, more so than humans. That means letting go is harder for demons than it is for humans. Sesshomaru may be as tough as nails, but even he has his pride and weaknesses. And like everyone else, even he can't go a day in his life without being challenged or learning something new. Also, his challenges aren't always what he expects. And whether he likes it or not, he has to live his life this way just like everyone else and like everyone else, sometimes even Seshsomaru can have a little growing up to do.

Kagome woke up and realized she was back inside Kaede's residence. Her friends explained to her that she collapsed after Magatsuhi glared at her. She also saw Kohaku lying beside her and sensed that his Jewel shard was still defiled. It didn't make sense to any of the heroes. A small spark of Kikyo's light was still inside Kohaku's Jewel shard and had enough power to purify Naraku when he tried to take the shard. Yet when Magatsuhi got close enough to the shard, he was able to effortlessly defile it. Kaiba wondered if it was because Magatsuhi was the will of the spirits of the demons Midoriko fought and had no material form.

Other than that, when Kikyo used her spiritual power on the Sacred Jewel and sent it back to Naraku, it was meant to purify him and only him. Still, since Magatsuhi also came from the Jewel and the Jewel was filled with Kikyo's spiritual power and Millennia's light from that last resort, shouldn't he have been purified in the same way? Was it because Naraku was trying to defile the Jewel with his demonic power as well as the power of his Cobalt Star shard that Magatsuhi wasn't purified?

Kagome tried to purify Kohaku's Sacred Jewel shard, but nothing was happening. Now everyone knew for sure that Magatsuhi was the one suppressing Kagome's spiritual powers.

Sesshomaru wasn't going to wait any longer. He had a score to settle with Magatsuhi and now he had the weapon to destroy him.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Kohaku hasn't woken up yet," Rin told him. "If we wait a little longer-,"

"Kohaku will be staying here," he interrupted. "You and Max will be too."

Rin was upset to hear that. "Don't be upset, Rin," Max assured her. "He's not abandoning you. He just doesn't want you in harm's way." Max tried to understand why Sesshomaru didn't want her along either. Her ego was telling her it was because he didn't like her and was always telling her she was in his way. But her heart was telling her it was to protect Rin and Kohaku. Max also remembered saying that Kohaku would be in good hands with her around. Other than that, knowing how much Rin liked Max made it all the more reason Sesshomaru would want her to protect the girl.

"I guess so," Rin replied.

"Would you listen to yourself," Jaken shouted. "You're acting like a spoiled brat! Lord Sesshomaru is a born warrior and he certainly didn't need the trouble of bringing two kids and a sassy Kitsune-"

"Jaken, you will be staying too," Sesshomaru told him. Now Jaken was the one getting upset and not wanting to be left behind. As Inuyasha watched his brother leave, he was still against the idea of him facing Magatsuhi alone, but there wasn't much the heroes could do at the time.


	22. Many Worlds, One Special Person

Many Worlds, One Special Person

For Kagome, living a double life was hard. The Heroes of Millennia understood because they had different roles not just in their world, but in the other worlds as well. Kagome had to return to her time period to prepare for her entrance exams.

Emily continued to look at the Bone-Eaters Well even after watching Kagome disappear to the other side. "Are you just going to stare all day?" Kaiba asked.

"It's just, I've been thinking, if I could follow Kagome to her time, maybe I could ask her family if I could use their kitchen to make my homemade baked goods for the journey," she wondered.

"Why not give it a try?" Joey suggested.

The blonde girl smiled. "Yeah, why not?" So she jumped into the well. Her friends watched, but didn't see her touch the bottom.

"I guess she made it to the other side after all," Joey wondered. "If she did, I can't wait for Em to bring back her desserts and baked goods."

"We do need food for the journey anyway," said Kaiba. "I have missed her treats after not having much decent food in this world."

Yugi sighed. "I know I shouldn't worry and that Emily can take care of herself, but-"

"You just care about her too much, don't you?" Inuyasha interrupted. "I feel the same way whenever Kagome goes home." He moves closer to Yugi and whispers, "Don't tell her I said that."

"Don't worry," Yugi promised. "But you're right. I care a lot about Emily. I love her. I also know she loves me."

"Yeah? How do you know?" Inuyasha asked.

"We've been friends for a long time," Yugi explained. "We've even told each other so." He stops smiling as he starts thinking about Rafael. "However, Emily has had some boy trouble; especially with Rafael."

"Rafael? Why, is he crazy about her?" Inuyasha wondered.

Yugi nodded. "He can't even accept that Emily doesn't even like him, but he gets so pushy and won't take 'no' for an answer."

To Inuyasha, this sounded like the trouble Kagome had with Koga, how he kept on boasting that he was in love with her and she was his woman. Inuyasha didn't think Yugi had anything to be jealous of if Emily didn't even like Rafael, but he figured that Yugi should at least toughen up and help her.

Meanwhile, in the 21st century, Kagome's family was taking a mini vacation at a local hot springs. Other than that, it was Sunday afternoon, so there was no school. Kagome tried calling her best friends, but they were all out in town hanging out. Nonetheless, she tried to concentrate on her studies. She even gave Emily permission to use her kitchen and bake treats and deserts.

Back in the feudal era, Inuyasha kept thinking about Rafael and what he could do to help Yugi help Emily with her trouble with him. "Hey, Yugi, how big is this Rafael guy?"

"He's more than twice my size," he answered.

"Really," the half-breed asked. "Well, you're gonna have to fight him."

"I what?" gasped Yugi.

"You have to put Rafael in his place."

"Inuyasha, no," Yugi replied. "I'm not a fighter."

"I'll teach you," he insisted.

"I've never even hit anybody before," Yugi confessed.

Inuyasha turned around. "You love the girl?"

"Of course I do," Yugi answered.

"Then shut up," the half-breed barked. "It's time for you to toughen up." He smiles a little kindly and adds, "Besides, a little basic training could help you out for when we next face Naraku or Magatsuhi."

"Well, I guess when you put it that way," Yugi was saying. He smiled back and agreed to practice fighting with Inuyasha. Kaiba and Joey got the same idea and decided to practice as well. Joey admitted he wasn't much of a marksman and agreed that he could use a little target practice. He shot arrows at trees and targets. Kaiba decided to get back in tune with his spiritual power with help from Miroku as well.

At the same time, in the modern era, Emily wasn't just baking treats for her friends. She was also helping Kagome with her studies. Also, Kagome's mother, grandfather, and little brother came back home with souvenirs. They were also delighted to meet Emily and even tried some of her treats. They agreed that Kagome's new friend was a talented baker.

Time passed and everyone back in the feudal era continued to wait for Kagome and Emily to return. Upon waiting, Inuyasha remained determined to teach Yugi that it wasn't enough simply being in love with Emily and the time would come when he would have to fight for her. But with Rafael as his opponent, would Yugi be up for the challenge? Yugi didn't think it was necessary for helping Rafael understand that Emily already loved him, but he agreed that this training would help build up not only his fighting skills, but also his confidence.

Things hadn't changed for Kohaku. He remained unconscious, causing Rin's worry for him to grow. Max could plainly see that the girl had strong feelings for the boy. "You care a lot about him, don't you?" She asked her. Rin nodded. Max didn't want to give the girl false hope, but she didn't want her to keep worrying either. Instead, she smiled and said, "You know, Rin, I think he has feelings for you too."

"Do you really think so?" she asked.

"I'm sure of it," Max answered. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have always put himself in harm's way for you."

"What about you, Lady Max?" Rin wondered. "Is there someone you have feelings for? Does he have feelings for you too?"

Max didn't want to lie to Rin. She knew a lot of guys who had crushes on her. She also thought about Bakura and knew that he loved her to death. Sadly, she did not love him in the same way. Other than that, she thought about Sesshomaru. She was clearly enchanted by his strength and appearance, but she hadn't yet decided if she was in love with him or not. Finally, Max replied, "Well, let's just say I haven't found the right one yet."

Rin accepted Max's response. She also changed the subject and asked, "Lady Max, you'll stay with us forever, won't you?"

She couldn't promise that. Max still had her responsibilities back home and couldn't just throw it all away. She smiles compassionately and says, "Rin, no matter what happens, I'll always be with you."

Perhaps Rin had no understanding of what kind of life Max had, but she loved Max no matter what and wanted to be friends with her forever. Still, she accepted Max's answer and hugged her. Max hugged her back.

After spending eleven days in the 21st century studying and working hard, Kagome made it through her entrance exams. She wanted to have a feast to celebrate her hard work, so she asked Emily to come shopping with her. The blonde girl was happy to come along. While Kagome and her mother would be cooking, Emily would be making desserts. At the same time, she returned to the feudal era and invited Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba along. Happy to hear about Kagome's progress and excited about a feast, the boys eagerly came along. Even Inuyasha couldn't resist and invited himself. Everyone just hoped he wouldn't cause too much trouble.


	23. Brother in Arms

Brother in Arms

Kohaku was still unconscious like he was in a coma. Rin tried to stay positive by saying that sleep was good for children. Max knew, however, that Kohaku would stay like this as long as his Jewel shard was defiled. Unfortunately, there was nothing she or anyone else could do to purify the shard. For Sango, it was ironic. Seeing her brother rest so soundly in such a terrible state was somehow putting her mind at ease. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been with her brother for such a long time like this.

A dark cloud suddenly descended upon the village. However, this was no cloud of nature. It was a horde of demons. Miroku began drawing them in with his wind tunnel and Sango helped by cutting them down with her hiraikotsu. Then Miroku wondered if the demons were after Kohaku. When he and Sango turned around and headed back to Kaede's house, he gasped as he saw Magastsuhi above Kohaku. Max saw it too and held Rin close to her to protect her.

"This boy possesses the final shard," Magatsuhi said, speaking through Kohaku. "It will now complete the Shikon Jewel."

"Let Kohaku go!" Max demanded.

"Worry not," said Magatsuhi. "I shall return his body when I'm finished with it. Rather, I shall return his corpse considering that his life is sustained by the Shikon Jewel shard."

Max realized his plan. "He plans to take Kohaku to Naraku with the Jewel shard inside of him!"

"We won't let you do that!" Sango shouted.

A horde of demons broke through the house and began surrounding Kohaku. Miroku managed to catch the boy and hold him close. He unveiled his wind tunnel once more, hoping to take in Magatsuhi's spirit. But it wouldn't work. Magatsuhi's very being was bound to the defiled Sacred Jewel shard and as long as Kohaku had the Jewel shard, the boy would be under Magatsuhi's control.

_Damn,_ Max thought. _Emily and her friends sure picked a bad time not to be here._

By the power of Magatsuhi's evil will, Kohaku's weapon changed and attacked Sango from behind. "Kohaku, stop!" Rin cried.

"No, Rin," Max cried, holding her back. "It's not Kohaku. He's under Magatsuhi's control." And under Magatsuhi's control, Kohaku escaped with the horde of demons.

A few minutes later, Kagome, Inuyasha, and the Heroes of Millennia returned. When they saw the devastation done to the village, they gazed in shock. "What happened?" Joey asked.

"Where is everyone?" Yugi asked.

Emily knew Max was still in the village because she could sense her Cobalt Star shards. She led her friends back to Kaede's destroyed house and saw everyone leaning against the rubble. Quickly, she began using her magic to heal her friends starting with Max. "Max, what happened?"

She replied, "Couldn't you have picked a better time to come back?"

Kaiba was worried that Miroku used his wind tunnel, so he checked his body. The brunette lad gasped as he saw the wounds and realized that the miasma was spreading. "You overdid it again, didn't you?" Kaiba scolded.

"I wasn't aware that I was," Miroku weakly responded. "Because of the master of potions' remedy, I wasn't able to feel pain from the miasma."

"Jesus," Kaiba hissed. Then he heard the sound of a breeze coming from Miroku's right hand. This meant that the hole in his hand had expanded. "You idiot," Kaiba snarled. "This is why we keep begging you not to overexert yourself."

"Kaiba, we don't have time for this," Miroku told him. "We must go after Kohaku."

"No," Inuyasha barked. "You sit tight until we get back. Kagome, Yugi, and Emily and I will go."

"I'll come too," Max immediately said.

Sango felt torn in two different directions. One was her fear for her brother's life and the other was her fear for the monk's life. Which would kill Miroku first? His wind tunnel or the toxicity in his body? She thought it over enough and decided to find her brother. She knew if she could somehow set him free from Naraku, Miroku wouldn't have to keep using his wind tunnel and end up overexerting himself for her.

Kaiba understood her feelings and decided to join her. Having a younger brother himself, he felt just as determined to rescue Kohaku.

The heroes managed to find Kohaku riding on a large red serpentine-like demon. Kagome sensed that Magatsuhi's hold on Kohaku had defiled the shard even more. The girls sensed Naraku's Cobalt Star shard and knew he was coming for Kohaku. Emily stopped the demon with her Lucent Beam. Once again, through Magatsuhi's will, Kohaku's weapon expanded and changed shape.

"So you've come to take back the shard?" Magatsuhi asked. "Come any closer and I shall tear this boy's body apart limb from limb! Remember, I am immaterial. Whatever happens to the boy will not affect me in any way. His body is only a vessel for the shard."

Kagome knew that her only chance was to try and purify the defiled shard. She shot her sacred arrow, but it was repelled by a barrier. "Foolish girl," Magatsuhi jeered. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten that I've sealed your spiritual power. Kikyo's spiritual power has no effect on me nor does Millennia's power. The Sacred Jewel will be made whole again."

Inuyasha tried calling out to Kohaku, but the boy couldn't hear his voice. Magatsuhi advised Inuyasha that though he was not present in body, Kohaku was still seeing visions of his past from the time he killed his father and comrades. "If Kohaku were to awaken and face this reality, it would break his soul. No, I'd say his soul has already been broken."

"Even so, you still have to wake up, Kohaku!" cried Sango's voice. Everyone looked and saw her riding on Kirara with Kaiba flying beside her.

"What a cruel sister you are," said Kohaku's voice. "If I wake up, I'll die."

Sango wouldn't give up. Once more, she pleaded, "Wake up, Kohaku!"

The defiled Sacred Jewel shard continued to show Kohaku those dreadful memories, repeating the scenes over and over again. Somewhere, deep in his soul, the boy was crying, begging for help. Then a strange light in the form of a soul collector appeared and began guiding him. The light was showing a scene of Miroku and Sango together. Kohaku knew that they were in pain because of him. Kohaku attacked his own sister once again and the monk put himself in harm's way not only for the demon slayer he loved, but for her brother too. This ordeal was causing all of them a great deal of suffering.

He heard Sango's voice calling out to him, begging for her brother's help. Then Kohaku's surroundings began illuminating brighter. Finally, he came to his senses and regained control over his body. Faintly, Kagome saw a small spark of light inside Kohaku's shard. There was no other explanation. This was Kikyo's light. That was why the light Kohaku saw earlier took on the form of a soul collector. "Sister, is it really not too late for me?"

"No," she answered. "It's _never_ too late."

Kohaku came up with an idea. Magatsuhi needed a vessel to control. The evil entity saw Kohaku hanging from his weapon. "Fool, do you think I'll worry if you jump to your doom? As long as your Jewel Shard is surrounded by your flesh, I'll be able to control your body."

"You won't be able to escape in time," said Kohaku. "Inuyasha and my sister will take the shard from my body before you get the chance." He loosened his grip and began falling. As Kohaku was getting further down, Magatsuhi felt his hold on Kohaku slipping. Riding on Kirara, Sango hurried to save her brother. From the sky, Naraku used his tentacles to catch Kohaku. Sango used her hiraikotsu to cut him free and get him to the ground safely.

Inuyasha unleashed his Meido Zangetsuha at the sky, sending the mass of demons to the underworld. Naraku wasn't among the demons, however. Kagome could still sense the defiled Shikon Jewel and Max and Emily could still sense Naraku's Cobalt Star shard.

Suddenly, more of Naraku's tentacles started coming out of the cliffs. Magatsuhi managed to get Kohaku back in his grasp when Sesshomaru suddenly appeared and attacked. He used his Baksaiga to destroy the tentacles in the cliff.

"It ends here, Magatsuhi," said Sesshomaru. Earlier, the dog demon fought against an illusion of Magatsuhi created by Byakuya of the dreams. With the dog demon occupied, the evil entity was able to buy some time to attack and take away Kohaku. Sesshomaru wondered if it was Tenseiga Magatsuhi was so afraid of. It had the power to kill creatures that were not of this world and Magatsuhi was one of them.

Sesshomaru was able to attack Magatsuhi with Tenseiga, but the evil being wasn't killed in the process. He promised everyone that he would return soon.

"Sessomaru," Max called out. She flies over to him and tells him, "Before coming here, Magatsuhi attacked the village. He also infected Rin and Miroku with his poison."

Sesshomaru wasn't showing it, but he was concerned for Rin. He was the first to head back to the village. Before the others could follow, Naraku suddenly appeared behind Kagome and Emily and held them in the grasp of his many arms.

"Kagome, it seems your spiritual power has not yet returned," he sneered. "The fact that you were unable to sense my presence surprised even me." He faces Emily and tells her, "I'm just as surprised with you, young princess. You weren't able to sense me coming until it was too late."

"Naraku, you bastard," Inuyasha growled, pointing his sword at him.

The demon laughed. "So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start swinging. Don't worry, I'm not planning to kill Kagome. It's really just the princess I want for now. After that, I'll take Kohaku's shard."

"You won't have them!" Sango shouted, cutting his tentacles with her hiraikotsu.

Kagome and Emily weren't as powerless as Naraku thought. Kagome was still able to detect where Naraku was hiding the Shikon Jewel. "Emily, can you still use your magic?" Kagome asked.

"I believe I can," she answered.

"Try to aim for Naraku's right shoulder."

Naraku tightened his grip on Kagome's neck, causing her to lose consciousness. "So you had enough spiritual power to see that."

Emily managed to free her arm and strike Naraku's shoulder with her earth magic. Her arm turned to stone and she jabbed him, causing him to lose his grip. "Impudent wench," he snarled. But the attack actually did more harm than good for her and Kagome. Striking Naraku's shoulder released more demonic tentacles and miasma. Also, looking closely, everyone saw that the wound revealed the same armored shell Moryomaru had. "Princess, I allowed you to attack me to see how futile your efforts are. I'm sure you recall how Inuyasha had a hard time penetrating this armor when he fought Moryomaru. Now this armor protects the Sacred Jewel." He faces Kohaku and tells him, "Kohaku, if you wish to save Kagome and the princess, you must surrender your life and hand over the shard."

"I can't let them die," Kohaku muttered.

"You can't give in to him either," Max told him. "He won't let them go."

Before Kohaku could decide, he looked down and saw one of Kagome's arrows shining. That was when he came up with an idea.

"Is your life that dear to you, Kohaku, that you're willing to sacrifice Kagome and the princess," Naraku asked him. More of his tentacles emerged from his back and started making their way to the boy. Max was able to keep them from reaching the boy by cutting the tentacles with her Air Blast. Emily and Kagome began to feel like they were being crushed.

"Give me your word, Naraku," Kohaku demanded. "Promise me that you'll return Kagome and the princess unharmed if I give you my shard."

"You have my word," the demon replied.

"No, Kohaku, he's lying," Emily cried. "He won't let me or Kagome go. Besides, the Sacred Jewel shard sustains what little life force you have left. If the shard is removed, you'll die!"

_And when that happens, it'll be too late for Emily to try to save him as long as Naraku has her in his grasp,_ Max thought.

"It's no matter," said Naraku. "His life was forfeit to begin with. He has nothing to lose." He grabbed Kohaku and began taking him and the girls along. "The day you murdered your father and comrades with your own hands," Naraku was telling him directly, "You died both in body and in spirit."

"That's true," Kohaku murmured. "There have been many times when I thought things would be better if I had simply died back then." _For a long time, I spent every day thinking about dying. But things have changed. I'm different now. My sister, Inuyasha, and the others have given me the strength to live and fight on. Whatever it takes, I'm going to save Kagome and the princess. Lady Kikyo's light and Kagome's arrow, the two of them are connected!_

Kagome looked and saw Kohaku's Jewel shard carrying a small spark of light. Kohaku pulled out the arrow he found and kept hidden. He struck Naraku's right shoulder, aiming for the spot where Emily tried to strike. Its light began making its way to the Sacred Jewel. "Damn you!" Naraku cried. _If I don't break free from Kohaku soon, I'll be consumed by this purifying light! _He released Kohaku and began trying to escape with Kagome and Emily still in his grip.

"Brace yourself, Kagome," said Emily. She struck Naraku with her Lucent Beam, causing him to lose his grip on the girls. Inuyasha hurried and caught Kagome in his arms and Yugi and Kaiba saved Emily from falling as well.

Sango found Kohaku hanging from the cliff and brought him back to safety. "Kohaku, you did well," she said with cheer. "I'm so proud of you."

Kohaku didn't feel deserving of his sister's pride. "To be honest with you, Sister, I still have doubts. After all I did, do I deserve to be alive?"

"You do," she immediately answered. "From this day on, you have to live, Kohaku. You can overcome your past." Sango and Kohaku rejoined the others.

"You were so brave, Kohaku," Yugi said proudly. "The way you used Kagome's arrow to strike Naraku."

Max grinned. "You really did have a plan."

Emily sighed. "Sorry, everyone. I was so helpless back there. Careless, too."

"It's okay, Emily," said Kagome. "We're safe thanks to Kohaku. He saved us both."

"Everything's okay now?" Sango asked her brother. "I mean, you'll be staying with us, right?"

"Yes, Sister," he boldly replied. His sins may have not yet been redeemed, but Kohaku has decided to stop running and start facing his fears as well as his enemies.

Looking behind Kohaku, Max saw parts of Naraku's body approaching him. She told Emily to get ready because they were coming to take his Jewel shard. The blonde understood and started warming up. Her eyes glowed with a green light and that same light surrounded her hands. Suddenly, Max saw a small light pierce through Kohaku's neck and his Jewel shard came out. "Now!" Max cried to Emily.

The blonde girl caught Kohaku in her arms and placed her hands against his chest and back. "Kohaku, stay with me," she begged. Pulses of light were released from her hands through his body.

"Kohaku," Sango cried. "Kohaku!"

"This can't be," Kaiba muttered.

"Don't lose hope," Max told her. "It may not be too late for him. The spell Emily is performing is called Revivifier. It has the power to restore a person's life energy even if they're an inch from death."

She stopped, waiting to see if it worked. It didn't. Kohaku remained lifeless. "I thought it was supposed to bring him back to life!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha, no spell can bring the dead back to life," Emily reminded him. "Revivifier can save a person from death. However, certain conditions must be met. That person's heart must still be beating and he must still have a small amount of life force in him. If Kohaku's heart has already stopped and his life has left him, then the spell has no effect. It wouldn't have anyway if he already died before the Sacred Jewel shard was planted in his body."

Sango held her brother close to her to hug him. "No," she sobbed.

Tears began falling from Kaiba's eyes as well. "Oh, Sango, Kohaku," he sobbed, knowing what it was like to have a little brother be taken from him.

Naraku's laughter filled the area. "Princess Emily, have you finally realized how weak you are? Despite your efforts, you couldn't save Kohaku. But you must be used to this. You didn't fare much better when you tried to save Kikyo. You see, Kikyo's light has died and Kohaku's shard has been fully defiled."

When the sound of his voice faded, everyone knew that Naraku was gone. Sango continued crying and holding her brother. As the sun started rising, Max saw a faint light at the back of Kohaku's neck. She also saw his chest moving, as though he was breathing. "Can it be?" she muttered to herself. She raised her voice. "Emily, use the spell again. I think it'll work this time."

Emily wasn't sure what Max was talking about, but she asked Sango to set Kohaku down. Once again, her hands were enveloped with an electric green light and her eyes glowed with that same light. She placed her hands on Kohaku's chest and her magic began flowing through his body again. "Kohaku, you must pull through," Emily cried.

When she finished, Max placed her fingertips against Kohaku's neck. To her amazement, she felt a pulse. Kohaku began stirring and slowly opened his eyes. "Sister," he said groggily.

"I get it," Yugi was saying. "When Naraku took the shard, Kikyo's light must've stayed inside Kohaku. It brought back the small life force Emily needed to fully revive him."

"That means, in the end," Emily was saying, "Kikyo decided that it was more important to save Kohaku's life than to destroy Naraku. In either case, it was only because of her that my magic worked. She's the one who really saved Kohaku, not me."

Sango began gently hugging her brother again. "Kohaku, I'm so glad."

He started crying of happiness as well. "Me too, Sister."

Kaiba knelt down and began hugging the both of them. He was happy for Sango that she finally got her brother back and just as happy for Kohaku that he was finally free.

_Kikyo must have known all along that Emily knew the spell Revivifier_, Max wondered. _I bet that's why she left her light in Kohaku's shard; to leave it to Emily to bring him back to life with a little help from Kikyo, of course. _


	24. What you do for a Friend

What you do for a Friend

Everyone returned to the village and received cheers from the rest of their friends. "Guys, you made it back," Joey cheered.

"And you rescued Kohaku as well," Miroku observed.

"Yeah, we all made it back in one piece," said Yugi.

Max walked inside the hut and saw Rin lying on her back. "Oh, Rin," she sighed.

"She's been this way since Magatsuhi attacked," said Miroku.

"Maybe I can heal her," Emily wondered. She gets down on her knees and places her hands over the girl. As she inspected her, the blonde couldn't find any injuries. "Max, you said she was poisoned, right?" Her friend nodded. Emily understood and began using Remedy. Her hands glowed with a blue light and cold pulses began flowing through Rin's body.

She finished, but Rin remained still. "Will she be okay?" Jaken asked.

"It's too soon to tell," Emily answered. "We'll just have to wait and let her keep resting."

Jaken gulped and whimpered. _If Sesshomaru finds out about Rin's condition, he'll blame me. Worse, he'll kill me._

"We should rest as well," said Emily. "After what we went through."

"A lot of good that will do," said Kaiba. "Rescuing Kohaku is one victory, but that doesn't mean we've won."

"He's right," said Yugi. "Naraku has completed the Sacred Jewel and it's been completely defiled."

"True, but he won't use attack us right now," said Max.

"How do you know?" Joey asked.

Inuyasha agreed. Knowing his greatest enemy, Naraku would have a whole new surprise waiting for the heroes. Plus, he wasn't one to rashly rush into things. He would carefully plan his attacks and wait for his enemies to come looking for him.

Kagome spoke up. "Actually, I need to go home tomorrow. My graduation is in the morning."

"You can't!" Inuyasha snapped.

Joey was surprised. "They're really letting you graduate?" Even Kagome herself was surprised. She had been absent for weeks and only attended school a few days in between. But she also had a little bit of help from Yugi and his friends. She had been working so hard just to get this far, but her friends had also been working just as hard for this last battle with Naraku.

Emily sighed and placed her hand over Inuyasha's. "We should let her go. A few hours won't make a big difference. Besides, Kagome's power is still sealed."

Even Joey understood. "You guys don't understand because you don't have schools in your world, but where we come from, it's actually a big deal."

Kaiba agreed and added, "We've had our own duties and we've still been able to make the time to finish school and graduate. Let's let Kagome go."

"I don't believe this," Inuyasha whined. "The things I put myself through just for the things you do." After griping, he began singing.

_I've been a moving target, I've been a sitting duck_

_I've even almost been another demon's food_

_All because somebody with more courage than good sense_

_Had to be rescued from their own ineptitude_

_Well, if weak humans with lesser things to live for want to waste their lives, _

_Maybe that should be allowed_

_But a demon is born for greater things and shouldn't risk his life _

_Like an ordinary member of the crowd_

_Inuyasha,_ Emily was singing, _that's what you do for a friend, ohh_

_That's what you do for a friend_

_That's what you do for a friend, my friend_

_That's what you do for a friend_

Joey agreed and sang, _You hang on through the hard times_

_Make them laugh when they're feeling low, _Shippo sang, transforming into a balloon.

Yugi took his turn and sang, _And when danger is near, you say, 'no fear',_

_And you go where you have to go_

_And_ _you_ _never_ _back_ _down_, Kaiba sang, _and you never back out_

_Keep fighting even when you're filled with doubt_

After everyone sang the chorus, Jaken sang, _This is ridiculous, running into danger, dashing into traps, rushing into an untimely end_

_You foolhardy heroes will end up with your backs against the wall in deep trouble once again_

_Now, I'm sure you think it's noble to die like that and be immortalized in songs about the past_

_And you may think it wise to have a harrowing demise so that life's exciting right up to the last_

_Master Jaken,_ Kohaku was singing, _That's what you do for a friend, ohh_

_That's what you do for a friend_

He held Sango's hands in his and finished the chorus

_And you even stick your neck out,_ Joey sang.

_No matter how scary it gets_, Kagome sang.

_You go out on a limb when the chances are slim_, Sango sang.

_And you do it with no regrets_, Miroku sang.

_And you never give up, you never give in_, Yugi was singing.

_You keep on trying through thick and thin_

When everyone sang the chorus and finished singing, Inuyasha sighed and muttered, "Cute. All right, but when you're done, come right back."

Kagome couldn't believe it. He was actually going to let her go. The song must have really helped in convincing him. She thanked her friends and jumped into the Bone-Eaters Well to return to her time.

Inuyasha sighed dejectedly. "The things I let her do."

"Only because you care," Joey added. "But it's true. A few hours won't make a difference. We should also take this time to plan."

"And when have any of our plans ever actually worked?" Kaiba snapped. "We plan, we get there, all Hell breaks loose."

"I should think you'd be used to it by now," Max remarked.

"Do you actually think I enjoy my life being a living Hell?" Kaiba retorted.

Inuyasha frowned. "You guys don't know _anything_ about a living Hell. I've seen things you guys have only seen in your worst nightmares. In this world, those nightmares come alive. Against Naraku, you'll see that and more."

"We understand," said Emily. "And we're willing to face the dangers. That's why we're here. We came to this world to help you save it. And it's a world worth saving because it's your home and you're our friends and you live in this world you all call home."

"So you're really doing all of this for us?" Shippo asked, jumping on Joey's shoulder.

"We can't really think of any other reason," the blonde lad replied.

"Other than that, you made us feel welcome in your world," Emily added. "It's become another home to us. That makes us even more responsible for keeping your world safe."

Sango smiled and said, "Well, we can't really argue against that, can we?"

"Well, if you really feel that way," Inuyasha was saying, "All right, but it's your life."

Yugi and Emily grinned at each other. They knew that that was just Inuyasha's way of giving his approval.


	25. In the Belly of the Beast

In the Belly of the Beast

No one had noticed it, but Rin disappeared into the night. Everyone knew that Naraku was behind her disappearance.

The next afternoon, Kagome finally returned after attending her graduation ceremony. "Inuyasha, everyone," she called to her friends. "Thanks for waiting."

Looking in the sky, everyone saw an ominous force and demons were gathering towards it. "Did Naraku use the Sacred Jewel?" Yugi asked Inuyasha.

"He must've," the half-breed answered.

The evil force was very overwhelming for Emily. "It's worse than that. He's combining the power of the Sacred Jewel with his Cobalt Star shard."

"That means there's no turning back now," said Kaiba.

Yugi agreed. "This fight will decide not only our fates, but the fate of this world."

"This isn't going to be like any other battle we've ever faced," Sango warned.

"We have to work together," said Emily. "It's our only hope."

Shippo jumped on Joey's shoulder. "That's right."

Inuyasha lifted the boy and set him down on the ground. "Forget it. It's too dangerous for a little kid."

"What do you mean!?" Shippo cried.

Sango wanted her brother to stay behind as well. She didn't want to risk losing his again after finally recovering him.

"Why," Shippo sobbed. "After being together all this time, aren't I a member of this group?"

Joey ruffled his head. "Of course you are, little buddy," he answered cheerfully.

"Look, if we don't come back, you'll have to take over for us. Understand, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't say that," Joey snapped. "We're gonna get through this!"

Nonetheless, Shippo was left behind with Kaede and Kohaku. Inuyasha and the rest of the heroes followed the horde of demons. Upon reaching their destination, they saw a gargantuan black spider. They also saw Byakuya and Max and Sesshomaru.

"A spider," Kaiba wondered. "Is that Naraku?"

Emily gulped and replied, "There's no mistaking it. He used the Sacred Jewel to change his body once again." She was still terribly afraid of spiders, but now wasn't the time to fret about such a petty fear. She learned her lesson back in the Xiaolin world and realized that this shouldn't be any different; not when the stakes are beyond high.

The mouth of the spider opened and Sesshomaru and Max immediately went inside. "My, they didn't even hesitate to go in after the little girl," said Byakuya.

"Rin's inside!?" gasped Emily.

"We've got to help rescue her," said Yugi.

"You do realize you might get eaten if you do, don't you," Byakuya asked. Emily whimpered.

"Don't let him get to ya, Em," said Joey.

Kaiba agreed. "We have to be strong now. We know Naraku can use our fears to his advantage and use them to distract us. If we give in to that, then he's already won."

The blonde girl knew that her friends were right. She had to keep it together. "Let's defeat Naraku," she said boldly, "once and for all." Her friends agreed. "But first, I think a little magic might come in handy." And she began using a spell called Moon Energy. Because it was daytime, the spell wouldn't be strong, but it would still boost everyone's energy and even protect them from Naraku's miasma.

It was stifling. The whole area reeked of corpses and miasma and the place looked like one giant spider's nest. "You finally made it inside," Naraku's voice echoed. "I've been waiting for you." Everyone stopped and rested their feet on the floor. "Will you destroy me from the inside?" Naraku asked. "Start where you like. Everything around you is me!"

"Damn you, Naraku," Joey growled, shooting his arrow at the moving flesh he saw. When his arrow pierced the flesh, miasma was sprayed.

"Don't tell me you haven't even noticed," Naraku tormented. "Your bodies have been exposed to my miasma ever since you entered. Yet curiously, none of you have died."

"I was afraid something like that would happen, so I gave myself and my friends a little power boost before we entered," said Emily. "My Moon Energy raises strength and stamina and purifies foul substances that surround us."

Naraku grinned. "Very clever, young princess. Perhaps I underestimated you. Still, I must say, you turned out to be more trouble for me than I would have ever thought possible."

"You ought to be surprised," said Emily. "People change every day, Naraku. I won't deny that you've been observing me and my friends through your Cobalt Star shard, but that doesn't mean you have any advantage over us. In either case, you're still a whole new opponent for me."

"Likewise," Naraku said in agreement. "But it matters not. You cannot change the fate of the Sacred Jewel nor can you escape from this battle. Remember, Princess, we are bound by the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord, meaning we must abide by the laws of the ancient ways. If by some miracle, you and your friends can defeat me, I will yield my shard of the Cobalt Star and you will be free to go. But if you should lose, I will have the Sacred Jewel claim your souls."

"Our souls," Yugi echoed.

"Yes, Yugi," Naraku answered. "The Sacred Jewel desires your souls; your very hatred towards me."

"In that case, we'll have to destroy the Sacred Jewel as well," said Kaiba.

"Fight me," Naraku commanded the heroes. "We have nothing but time. You have an eternity to fight me here." He created creatures from his flesh with armor-like bodies. Inuyasha struck them with his Adamant Barrage, but as the adamant spears went through the creatures and struck Naraku's body, demonic tentacles emerged. Inuyasha was about to try and use his Meido Zangetsuha, but the tentacles projected an image of Rin walking. Inuyahsa wanted to pass it as an illusion, but based on Naraku's encouragement of striking her, he was convinced that it was her.

To Naraku, this was perfect. With the heroes forced to hesitate, he would have the advantage and be free to attack.

It was faint, but Kagome could sense the Sacred Jewel. This meant that Naraku hadn't absorbed it completely. If that was the case, then the Cobalt Star shard had to be somewhere inside Naraku's body as well. Emily tried sensing it, but had a hard time. The evil presence that filled the area made it hard for her to detect the shard.

Naraku wasn't going to give them the opportunity. He cut everyone off from each other. Yugi and Emily were paired with Inuyasha and Kagome while Joey and Kaiba were paired with Sango and Miroku.

"Come on," Inuyasha told his friends. "Right now, we're better off looking for the Jewel than trying to regroup with the others." He suddenly stopped walking as he felt a disturbing presence. Suddenly, to the horror of his friends, his demonic nature began to take control.

"Don't look so surprised," said Naraku. "You should know what happens when he gets too close to the Sacred Jewel after it's been defiled. Inuyasha is merely a half-demon. It seems that his spirit has been consumed by the Jewel's poison."

"Inuyasha, snap out of it!" Yugi cried. But he didn't hear him. The half-breed snarled and scratched Kagome's arm.

"What's wrong?" Naraku taunted. "All you have to do is calm him down and purify him. Then again, Princess Emily, using your magic on him may do him more harm than good. Millennia's power is harmful to demons."

"Only if they're exposed to the Millennium Star," she reminded him. _Still, he's right,_ she thought to herself. _What if I try to use my magic to calm his demonic nature and he ends up being purified? He could lose his demon nature for good. Other than that, Kagome's spiritual power is still being sealed by Magatsuhi. So in either way, we're still at a disadvantage. _She spoke up and alerted Kagome and Yugi to retreat. Her friends agreed and began following her.

"You cannot escape," Naraku told them. "The demon form of Inuyasha will not rest until he has ripped your body to shreds."

Emily stopped and regained her composure. "That's just like you, isn't it, Naraku," she asked, grinning. "You plan every attack and strategize every battle, yet rather than sully your own hands, you let others do your dirty work for you. However, that's not how it's supposed to work in a battle like this. The Dark Lord would not be pleased."

Naraku knew as much and replied, "Oh, don't worry, young princess. I won't have Inuyasha kill you for me. I'm well aware that I must kill you myself according to the laws of the ancient ways. Do not forget that this applies to you as well. You can't keep relying on your friends all the time. And while we are permitted to use the powers of the Gods, we must still rely on our own power as well. But you have no idea how to do that, now do you?"

That was when Emily began thinking about what Inuyasha told her, how he figured that she had been relying on Millennia's power too often to realize her own power. But what can she do? Well, she'll have to find the answer to that fast before it's too late.


	26. The Trap of Horrors

The Trap of Horrors

Miroku, Sango, Kaiba, and Joey continued walking, but weren't really getting anywhere. Kaiba heard the sound of the breeze again, coming from Miroku's right hand. Sango heard it too and was worried about the monk using the wind tunnel again, fearing it would kill him for sure.

Suddenly, a strange mist surrounded the group. When it cleared, they all found themselves standing in a grassy field. Miroku saw a temple and recognized it. This was where he lived with the monk who raised him. The heroes saw what looked like a younger Miroku standing between two men. One was his father and the other was his master. Miroku's father distanced himself from the temple when suddenly, a powerful force surrounded him.

Miroku knew what this was. This was a memory of when he witnessed his father's death, how he was pulled in by his own wind tunnel. He was used to this scene, but this was the first time any of his friends witnessed it. Sango was too overwhelmed. She held Miroku, knowing if nothing was done soon, he would meet the same fate.

Kaiba and Joey continued staring with the same horrified expressions. "Is that really how your father died?" the brunette lad asked.

"My God," Joey muttered.

Everyone's surroundings changed and they all found themselves back inside Naraku's body. "How awful," Sango whimpered. "It was such a terrible death."

"Everyone, we must be strong," Miroku warned his friends.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha continued to wander by himself not just in Naraku's body, but in his thoughts. He harbored incredible guilt for not realizing that he and Kikyo had fallen victim to Naraku's trap from the very beginning; being forced to hate and hurt one another. Then after promising to always protect her, he ended up losing her again.

He heard Kagome's voice in his head, begging him to let her stay by his side. He came to his senses as he smelled her blood on his hand. Finally, his demon nature was suppressed once again. "Did I do this? Did I kill her?"

"That's right, Inuyasha," Naraku's voice answered. "You changed into your demon form. You lost your human heart and tore the girl apart. Yugi and the princess are gone too. You killed your beloved and your companions with your very own hands."

Inuyasha didn't want to believe him. "What?"

"It happened just like before," continued Naraku. "Instead of protecting your loved ones, you hurt them with your weak heart."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snarled, and began slashing the flesh with his claws. He didn't want to believe that he had slaughtered his friends.

Naraku continued to take advantage of Inuyasha's pain. "Forget everything, Inuyasha, your human heart and Kagome. Know only the joy of tearing apart your prey." And Inuyasha's demon nature began to take over him again.

It wasn't true. Yugi and the girls weren't killed. After Inuyasha's demon nature took over, they ran from him. Now they found themselves in another part of Naraku's body. Having gotten far away from him enough, they stopped to catch their breath. Emily also started healing the wound on Kagome's arm. She also used Moon Energy on her friends again since the spell was starting to wear off.

Kaiba and Joey and their friends weren't faring any better. No matter how many times they fought the demons created from Naraku's flesh, many more would come and attack. Escape was impossible. Naraku wasn't going to let them avoid fighting. He caught Kirara in his tentacles to keep her from flying away.

Kaiba saw the tentacles coming for him and the others as well. He told everyone to gather around and began creating a barrier. "My barrier isn't as strong as Briar's, but it should stop these tentacles from reaching us," he told them. And it was just as he said. Now Naraku couldn't touch them.

"This won't hold forever," said Joey. "In either case, we're trapped."

Miroku knew if he were to use his wind tunnel, it would expand and kill not only the monk, but the rest of his friends. "We must part ways," he immediately said. He left the protection of the barrier and began fighting his way past the tentacles.

"Miroku, no," Joey shouted. "We have to stay together!" But the monk didn't stop or look back. He didn't want any of his friends to die with him. After setting Kirara free from Naraku's grip, Sango and the boys began searching for Miroku.

Hoping to reunite with Inuyasha, Yugi and the girls met up with Max and Sesshomaru. Rather, the scent of the wound Inuyasha inflicted on Kagome drew Sesshomaru to the group. It was a small detour, but he was willing to stop. Max advised them to stay with her and the dog demon for the moment.

After walking for a few minutes, Max and Sesshomaru detected Rin's scent. They could also smell Inuyasha's scent. At first, Yugi and Emily were surprised that Max had a keen sense of smell, but then they remembered that she was part fox. Still, Inuyasha's demon nature had still taken over him, meaning Rin was in danger.

They had arrived too late. Rin was swallowed inside Naraku's flesh and Inuyasha was now possessed by Magatsuhi. Under his control, Inuyasha unleashed his Meido Zangetsuha, but failed to hit his opponents. It was clear to Sesshomaru that his brother was trying to fight Magatsuhi's control and avoid hurting the others. "Stand back," Sesshomaru demanded the others. "Do not interfere." He managed to get Inuyasha to lose his grip on Tetsusaiga. To Magatsuhi, that made it easier for him to control the half-breed.

Yugi came up with an idea. "We must get Inuyasha his sword back. That will limit Magatsuhi's control over him and maybe even supress his demon nature again."

"It's worth a try," said Kagome. Emily carried her in her arms and flew in after Yugi.

For once, Sesshomaru was impressed with Inuyasha. "Now that your mind and body are in demon form, you're a bit tougher than usual." Of course, not that Inuyasha was ever going easy on his older brother, but Sesshomaru still deemed his younger brother weak and pathetic.

"Showing no mercy to your own brother," Magatsuhi said, speaking through the half-breed. "You must really hate Inuyasha."

"I feel nothing towards him," Sesshomaru remarked. "I never considered that lowly half-demon to be my brother." He drew Tenseiga, but Inuyasha caught the sword with his hand.

"You are weak, Sesshomaru," Magatsuhi tormented. "If you had drawn Baksaiga, Inuyasha would have been obliterated in an instant. But instead you chose to draw Tenseiga, a blade that cannot cut through anything in this world. You should know that Tenseiga is useless as long as I am possessing his body."

Yugi and the girls managed to reach Tetsusaiga. Kagome placed her hands on the hilt, straining as she was trying to pull the sword. "Be careful not to strain yourself, Kagome," Emily warned, "or you'll open the wound in your arm again."

"Don't worry, Emily," she assured her, but the wound was already reopening. Kagome finally pulled the sword free, but stumbled back and slipped. Emily flew in to her rescue and save her from falling.

Though Inuyasha was still under Magatsuhi's control, he could still smell Kagome's blood and tell she was nearby. Trying to resist, Inuyasha let go of Tenseiga and punched himself in the face. "Kagome, Tetsusaiga," he cried out. "Give me Tetsusaiga!"

"Right," she answered. She held on to Emily and together they flew down to Inuyasha.

"Well, well, Magatsuhi, what will you do now?" Max wondered. "It appears the half-demon is more difficult to control than you thought."

"But if Magatsuhi tries to leave Inuyasha's body, he may try to take control of one of us," said Yugi.

"He can't control me or Emily," said Max. "Not while we're protected by the Stars. However, he can try to control you or Kagome."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha realized that and knew that they would each have only one chance. Tetsusaiga took on its Dragon-Scaled form and a demon vortex appeared, forcing Magatsuhi out of the half-demon. It was Inuyasha's own demon vortex and it was keeping Magatsuhi from escaping and trying to possess another body. With him being forced out into the open, Sesshomaru was free to attack. He slashed the entity with his Tenseiga.

Now that Magatsuhi was finally defeated, Kagome's spiritual power had returned to her. Inuyasha was back to normal as well. With that being taken care of, Sesshomaru and Max were able to resume their search for Rin. They also noticed that the scent in the area had changed and wondered if Kagome's spiritual power was purging Naraku's scent.

Everyone's surroundings began shaking and more and more pieces of flesh were emerging to attack. This could only mean that Naraku was threatened about the return of Kagome's spiritual power and he was done tormenting his victims.

Inuyasha and the others kept moving until they found themselves standing in a ray of light. Naraku's voice echoed once again. "So you've noticed. Light has returned to the Shikon Jewel."

"That can't be," said Emily. "You said the Jewel was completely defiled."

"I did say that, didn't I," Naraku taunted. "Well, apparently, as Magatsuhi was destroyed, the light of the Great Goddess began to shine again."

"Millennia's light," Emily asked. "It couldn't be." The light that was surrounding her and her friends felt impure. This was how she knew Naraku was lying.

"Princess, I'm sure the rest of your friends have already noticed this light as well," Naraku told her. "What do you suppose they're doing right now? Also, what will they think upon seeing this light?"

"What are you saying?" Yugi demanded.

Naraku continued to torment them. "I shall give you a small hint: Miroku's wind tunnel has almost reached its limit. Do you know what will happen the next time he uses it?"

Inuyasha and his friends did know and that was what was scaring them right now.

"Miroku has parted ways with Sango, Joey, and Kaiba," Naraku explained. "He doesn't want any of them to get too close when his wind tunnel finally destroys him. As we speak, your friends have already begun to follow the light, but there's no guarantee that they'll find me, isn't that right?"

"You despicable creature!" Emily shouted.

Naraku laughed wickedly. "Ironic, isn't it, that a pure light can lead to destruction?"

Yugi and Inuyasha agreed that they couldn't delay any longer. They told the girls that they had to hurry and find the rest of their friends.

Just as Naraku had explained, the rest of the heroes began following the light they saw. Sango and the boys found Naraku, but before any of them could attack, they saw their enemy holding Rin in his arms. None of them could risk attacking the poor girl. However, they were warned that Miroku would soon encounter an illusion of Naraku and be forced to use his wind tunnel again.

"What does this girl mean to the three of you," Naraku asked. "You barely even know her."

"She's a friend of a friend," Joey snapped. "That makes her our friend too."

Naraku chuckled in amusement. "Well, Joey, you certainly live up to the title hero of friendship, don't you? I suppose that's because of your feelings for Max. You don't want to hurt her, so you show mercy to her pungent friend. However, if you let the monk die for the sake of this child, you're not really being a loyal friend to him."

Joey gritted his teeth. He wanted to save Miroku, but not at the cost of Rin's life. She was an innocent girl and Joey also knew that she was special to Max. That made him think about Max and Fiore.

"What's wrong, Joey?" Naraku asked. "Are you afraid of failing Max like you did before when you fought against Fiore? You wanted to save him for her, but you couldn't. You instead allowed the Dark Lord to recall him to the Shadow Realm."

"Shut up!" Joey shouted, trying to hold back his tears. "I won't let Max down again!"

"Why even bother for her?" Naraku asked. "You try so hard, but you get no appreciation from her. You risk your life for someone you love knowing she doesn't even love you. Even after all she put you through trying to sell you to your enemies."

"That's all the more reason for me to stick my neck out for Max!" Joey protested. "You're right, Naraku, I do have feelings for Max and I want her to be safe and happy. But I can't think about my own feelings. Max has people who are special to her too and that's why I have to look out for them too. That's why I also believe I can be friends with them too. Rin is no exception. Fiore wasn't any exception either. I don't know where he is, but I believe that one day he and Max will be together again and he and I can be friends too. But right now, I have to keep fighting for Max because I don't want to lose her. If I just give up, that'll only mean I don't care."

"Very touching," said Naraku. "But does Sango feel the same way? Does she think she can be friends with Rin even though the monk comes first for her?"

Sango raised her weapon, but Kaiba held it down. "It won't accomplish anything but more amusement for Naraku," he told her.

"Let go, Kaiba," she demanded. "If I don't, the wind tunnel will reach its limit and Miroku will end up like his father."

"Sango, Kaiba and I want to save Miroku as badly as you do, but we can't sacrifice Rin," Joey declared.

Finally, Inuyasha and his group found Miroku. The monk was about to unveil his wind tunnel before an illusion of Naraku, but his friends were able to stop him. "That was way too close," said the half-demon. "If we hadn't gotten to him in time, we would have all been sucked in."

"We have to stop the illusion," said Emily. She struck him with her Lucent Beam, but nothing happened.

Kagome looked around, trying to detect the Shikon Jewel. She managed to see it along with the real Naraku behind another wall of flesh. "It's all right, Emily, I've got this." She drew her bow and shot her arrow. Like before with Lady Hitomiko, the arrow disappeared and reappeared in front of its real target.

The illusion holding Rin disappeared and the girl began falling. Suddenlly, Kohaku appeared riding on A and Un and caught her. "It's okay, you guys," he cried out. "Rin's going to be fine."

"Kohaku, we told you to stay behind!" Kaiba shouted.

"Never mind that," said Joey. "Try to get Rin out of here." The boy nodded and fled away. "Damn," Joey grunted. "That was all just an illusion."

"I told you he wanted us to kill the girl for his own amusement," Kaiba snapped.

"That he did," said Byakuya. Everyone turned around and saw him standing behind them. "It seems nothing gets past you, Kaiba. I'd say you're just about as clever as Lady Max."

"Did someone say my name?" Max asked, and everyone saw her and Sesshomaru. Not wanting to get involved in a nasty confrontation, Byakuya turned around to leave, but Max attacked and killed him with her Dark Force spell.

"Max, did you and Sesshomaru just witness the whole thing?" Joey asked nervously.

They did. "I suppose I should thank you for not hurting Rin," said Max. "After hearing what you said and realizing how you felt about what happened in our last battle, I could tell you were serious." She turns her attention to Sango. "It's okay, Sango. I can't be mad at you for your resolve to save Miroku. A human heart is easy to hurt and take advantage of. When that happens, that person becomes frail and can't listen to reason. You felt like you had no choice."

"But there's no excuse for what I was about to do," said Sango. "I was about to kill Rin. If you and Sesshomaru wish to kill me, I will not resist."

Sesshomaru wasn't going to. "You should thank Joey and Kaiba for stopping you," he told her. He seemed to understand as much as Max did and was willing to let it go.

"We should also count our blessings that Rin is still alive," said Joey.

"But not safe," said Max. "None of us will be as long as we're inside Naraku."

Kaiba agreed. "Let's try to find the rest of our friends and regroup." He faces Kohaku and tells him, "Kohaku, you and Rin should stay close to us as well. We can worry about getting out of here later."

"Yes, Master Kaiba," Kohaku said respectfully.

Meanwhile, Miroku started coming back to his senses. "Inuyasha, please leave me behind."

He wouldn't. "If we do that, there's a good chance that Naraku may trick you with another one of his illusions."

"My wind tunnel will tear open," he said in alert. "When it does, you'll all be sucked in with me."

"We just got you back," said Emily. "We didn't do that just to abandon you again. We're going to get through this together."

"Emily's right," said Yugi. "Besides, you promised Sango that when this was all over, you would take her as your wife. You should keep fighting to survive. We all will."


	27. Surge and Destroy

Surge and Destroy

Following the direction of the light, the groups came together and found Naraku and the defiled Shikon Jewel. His body was damaged after being struck with Kagome's arrow and the Jewel still had a faint spark of light. "You found me," Naraku said coyly. "I hope you realize that this is your only chance to kill me."

"Don't remind me," Emily said, striking him with her Lucent Beam. But Naraku was protected by his barrier and the light went in different directions.

"Haven't you realized it yet, Princess?" Naraku asked. "Light and dark are always battling each other not just in this world, but in the other worlds you've visited. It's no exception here. Until you defeat me, I control this place."

Kagome drew her bow again, but before she could shoot her arrow, Naraku's miasma was released at everyone's feet. Quickly, Emily purified it with her Remedy breeze and she gave her friends another boost of Moon Energy.

"I'll admit your magic is getting stronger, Princess, however, this miasma is much more potent," Naraku told her. "You may be able to withstand it thanks to the power of the Millennium Star, but even with your magic, your friends will still be exposed and succumb to its effects."

"What are you more afraid of, Naraku," Emily asked, "Me using my Millennium Star or Kagome firing her sacred arrow?"

It seemed to be a little bit of both. Either way, he wasn't going to give his enemies the opportunity to destroy him. It actually didn't seem to matter. As long as his enemies were hateful and bitter towards Naraku, the Sacred Jewel would continue to be defiled.

Sango tossed her hiraikotsu, cutting through Naraku's demonic energy and even through his barrier. However, the miasma remained intact with her weapon and she breathed it in as her weapon came back to her. Seeing this, Emily used her Remedy breeze to heal the poison in her body. She didn't want Kagome to waste her arrows.

"Thank you, Emily," Sango said gratefully.

"Don't mention it," the blonde told her. She gasped of shock, sensing the power of the Cobalt Star shard in Naraku's possession. _He's finally using the Cobalt Star shard._

After recovering, Naraku took on a new transformation once again. "Can you sense it, young princess? The time has finally come to end this once and for all."

"I couldn't agree more," the blonde girl said in acknowledgement. She placed her hands close to her chest, but stopped herself. She couldn't bring herself to use the Millennium Star, not after what everyone was telling her. Emily was worried that if she did use it, it meant that she desperately needed Millennia's help and couldn't rely on her own strength. What choice did she have? Naraku was using his Cobalt Star shard.

"What's wrong, Princess," Naraku taunted. "Are you afraid?"

She wouldn't deny it. She lowered her arm and confessed. "Yes, I am afraid. I thought I was determined, but not so much anymore. I seem to have lost my confidence."

"Good," Naraku told her. "You really do know your limits. Not that it matters. Whether or not you use the Millennium Star, you will die here."

All of her friends gasped. "What does he mean?" Kagome asked.

Naraku decided to explain. "The princess can use the Millennium Star to destroy me, but if she should spend every last energy in her body, the Millennium Star will be reduced to dust and your precious princess will die."

"No, you can't!" Kagome cried.

"She won't," Max declared. She flew in and stopped at Emily's side. "I've come to understand that even if you were destroyed, Naraku, the Shikon Jewel would live on. As a result, Emily would only die in vain."

"Indeed, Lady Max," Naraku said in agreement.

She wasn't finished. "However, the forces of light and darkness clash within the Sacred Jewel despite the fact that it's defiled." She grins and asks, "Naraku, what would happen if the powers of light and darkness combined instead of clashed?"

"You intend to use the powers of both Stars to destroy me and the Sacred Jewel?" Naraku asked with fear in his tone.

"Individually, no," Max answered. "Together, yes."

"Max-,"

"It's our only chance," she interrupted. "You know that."

Emily did know as much, but she didn't want Max to die using her power. Still, she had no choice. That was when she came to accept that she couldn't rely on her own power alone. She really did need the strength, support, and wisdom of the people around her. "Let's do it."

Inuyasha was confused. "What the hell does Max think she can do?"

"Just as established, she's going to use her Cobalt Star shards," Sesshomaru answered. "When that happens," he paused. Rather than finish, he told his brother to observe.

Emily released the Millennium Star from her heart and transformed into the princess. Max placed her hands close to her Cobalt Star shards and she became the Dark Knight. When their transformations were complete, the girls joined hands and became engulfed in a silver flame that took on the form on a bird.

"Max and Emily have joined together as one," said Sango.

"That's a Firebird," Miroku observed. "According to the legend, the Firebird is the ultimate weapon of the Knight of Darkness."

"Then that means," Inuyasha was saying, "Max isn't just a servant to the Dark Lord, but she's also a Dark Knight?"

"And Princess Emily is the Light Knight," Sesshomaru added. "The Firebird can only be unleashed when the Knights of Light and Darkness join together and become one."

"Will they both be able to destroy Naraku and the Sacred Jewel," Kagome asked. Everyone was just going to have to find out.

Naraku growled in fear. He hadn't anticipated that the girls would both use the power of the Stars in this way. In fact, this was the first time Max had ever unleashed the power of the Firebird. The powers of Light and Darkness had now merged. The Firebird broke through the barrier and attacked Naraku. "Damn you girls!" he cried. He tried to recover, but his body wasn't reforming.

Even the surrounding walls and floors of flesh began to tear open and release miasma. "It seems Naraku is at the point of desperation," Sesshomaru wondered. The others thought the same thing as they were watching the Firebird fighting with Naraku.

The Firebird opened its wings and its light shone down on Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba. Exposed to the light, the boys began transforming as well. They had now taken on their forms as Millennia's warriors.

"Look at that," Kagome said in astonishment. "Now you guys have changed too."

"This is our true form as warriors of Millennia," said Yugi. "The Firebird must have used Millennia's light on us so we could transform and help."

"Makes sense," said Inuyasha. "The Firebird does have the power of Millennia's light and Cobalt's darkness."

Joey was also finding that he could breathe better too. "Not only have we transformed, but we're better protected against the miasma."

"Let's help the girls," Yugi declared. He drew his sword and saw light emanating from it. Light was emanating from Kaiba's staff and Joey's bow and arrows as well. "Our weapons must have received Millennia's power as well." Curious about how it works, Yugi slashes his sword at a wall of flesh. Not only did he wound Naraku, his attack also purified the miasma and turned it into light and mist.

"Awesome," Joey cheered. "It's like Shaymin's attack Seed Flare." He remembered that Seed Flare had the power to take in polluted air and release it as water and sunlight.

"And Emily's Remedy breeze," Yugi added.

"Now we can destroy Naraku for sure," said Kaiba. He pounded his staff against the ground to purify everyone's surroundings. As the others breathed it in, they discovered that the pain in their bodies from breathing in the miasma was disappearing. Joey shot his arrow, releasing a lightning that was destroying pieces of flesh that were falling.

Inuyasha helped out as well. He used Meido Zangetsuha to create blades of Meidos to cut through Naraku. Sesshomaru used his Baksaiga to attack the mounds of flesh as well. Now Naraku would slowly be destroyed piece by piece.

Naraku was down to his last resort. He knew he had to use the Cobalt Star shard and the Sacred Jewel. But as he held the Jewel in his hand, the Firebird snatched it with its beak and devoured it.

Inside the Firebird, Max and Emily held the Sacred Jewel in their hands and channeled their power into the Jewel. The combined powers of light and darkness began to overpower the clashing forces of Midoriko's spiritual power and the demons' demonic energy.

"_Shikon no Tama_, begone forever," the girls decreed, and the Sacred Jewel began disappearing from their hands.

Naraku sensed it. "So you actually did it," he snarled. "You really did manage to destroy the Sacred Jewel after all."

"That's right," said Emily. "The _Shikon no Tama_ has been rid from this word."

"It's time for you to meet the same fate," said Max. The Firebird charged towards Naraku once again. He tried using the power of his Cobalt Star shard, but the girls' combined power was overpowering him. The light of the Firebird's flames was burning him and the powers of darkness were hurting him as well. He began fading as the powers of light and darkness were taking him.

An escape route was created for the heroes when Sesshomaru used Baksaiga and the opening continued to expand as the pieces of flesh came into contact with Naraku's body. Now everyone could leave this place and watch the end of Naraku once and for all. The Firebird was the last to come outside. It opened its beak and unleashed rays of light and darkness, attacking the spider and obliterating it.


	28. Adventure in Paradise

Adventure in Paradise

Everyone watched as the Firebird annihilated the spider. Also, Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba were back in their original forms. "The transformation has lifted," Kaiba observed. "I guess that means it's over."

"But the girls," Yugi was saying.

"I can't sense the Shikon Jewel anymore," said Kagome. "I stopped sensing its presence before we escaped. What Naraku said was true. Max and Emily were able to destroy it."

Miroku unveiled his right hand again. Looking at his palm, he saw that there was no hole. Now that Naraku was dead, the curse in Miroku's right hand was gone.

"Hey, up there," Shippo cried. Everyone looked up and saw the Firebird splitting into two lights. One was white and another was black. The lights began making their way towards the group. The white light landed in front of Inuyasha and the black light landed in front of Sesshomaru. The lights dimmed down, revealing Max and Emily. The girls opened their eyes and looked around.

"Inuyasha?" Emily asked, finding herself in his arms.

"Sesshomaru?" Max asked. For her, it was a little awkward for her to be held in his arms, but at the same time, it felt nice. Mixed feelings of nervousness and happiness filled up and made her heart beat fast.

"Lady Max!" Rin cried cheerfully. "You're okay!" She jumped and hugged her.

Max gasped and chuckled. "Easy, Rin."

"How about you, warrior princess," Inuyasha asked Emily. "How are you doing?"

She supported herself and stepped away. "A little out of it, but I'm okay."

"You girls were amazing," said Kagome. "You defeated Naraku."

"We all did," said Joey. "We did it together."

"Actually, I think Max was the real hero," Emily said, looking at her. "Defeating Naraku and destroying the Sacred Jewel was only possible because of her."

Before Max can say anything, a Cobalt Star shard appears in her hands. "Naraku's Cobalt Star shard. We really did do it."

"No, Max, _you_ did it," said Emily.

"Humilty, such a disguisting thing even from humans," Sesshomaru jeered. "Yet with you, Princess, I find it admirable."

"I guess that means Lord Sesshomaru likes you, Princess Emily," said Rin. Emily softly gasped. She didn't think so, but didn't say anything.

"What!?" Max and Jaken shouted.

Jaken continued to shoot his mouth off. "Just because Lord Sesshomaru said something nice to the princess, doesn't mean she likes her! He could never like a filthy human; even if she is a princess!"

Sesshomaru silenced him by hitting him on the head. This was why Emily didn't react to Rin's words. She didn't want him to do the same thing to her. Instead, she said something a little more humbly. "You needn't address me that way, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm not a princess of this world. Even if I was, I still would have no power over you."

"At least she certainly has more dignity than Max," Jaken commented. This time, Max hit him for his commentary.

"Why do you humble yourself, young princess," Sesshomaru asked. "Lady Max did not defeat Naraku on her own. As the Knight of Darkness, Max would have never been able to unleash her ultimate power without the Light Knight and that was you."

"He's right," Inuyasha said in agreement. "You girls both deserve the same amount of credit." He looks at Max and tells her, "I really misjudged you, Max. I thought you were trouble because…"

"Because I was so different," Max wondered. "Or because of my power?"

"I guess it was a little bit of both," he replied. "But you turned out to be okay. And you really helped us out a lot."

"Max may be a warrior to the Dark Lord, but she's also a valuable friend and ally," said Joey. "She's helped us out many times in the past. And the truth is, we need her. She's important to us."

Max was used to hearing Joey talk about her like that, but it wasn't just an opinion. She knew he was telling the truth. Max was important to her friends and it wasn't because her destiny was linked to her friends', but because they really did love her and were always looking out for her. So really, Max did have a place among Yugi and his friends. She had a place where she was accepted and belonged.

Yugi spoke up. "We're all friends, no matter what our differences. And we were able to accept and embrace our differences and work together."

Inuyasha and his friends agreed. "Now that you have the Cobalt Star shard, what are you going to do?"

"Now it's time for us to return to our world," Kaiba answered. "The way back should open for us."

"You should come with us," Emily suggested. "You can see where we come from and how we came to this world."

Her friends agreed. "Rin, Kohaku, you should come too," Max offered.

Rin smiled gleefully. "Can we, Lord Sesshomaru?" The dog demon gave her his permission with a small nod. So it was decided that Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Rin, and Kohaku would follow Yugi and the others.

It was the Bone-Eaters Well that brought Yugi and his friends to this world. Maybe it would bring them back to the Secret Garden. They asked Inuyasha and the others to trust them and follow them. To their surprise, the power of the well was working. The demonic energy didn't bring them to Kagome's era. The power of the Stars brought them to the Secret Garden.

Inuyasha and his friends looked around. "Where are we," the half-demon asked.

"This is the Secret Garden," Yugi answered. "It's the heart of the Pure Valley, a paradise created by the Great Goddess herself. It's also a gateway to the other worlds we've been to."

"It's beautiful," said Sango. Her brother agreed.

"And the best part is time stands still in this place, so you don't have to worry about being gone for too long," Joey added. "And you can do anything you want to here. You can eat the food here, swim in the ponds, play in the meadows, climb trees-,"

Kaiba interrupted him and said, "Guys, look, over by Angel Peak." Everyone followed his gaze towards the rock shaped like an angel with hands clasped together. "Looks like the Secret Garden built itself a hot spring."

His friends looked and saw that he was right. "Did I mention this place is always changing every time we go to a new world?" Joey asked.

Inuyasha smiled. "I think I'm going to like this place."

Yugi got an idea. "Why don't we show you around? We can also introduce you to our friends." He knew that Téa and Tristan would still be in the Garden and he also figured that maybe some of the frends they made in the other worlds would also be in the Valley.

"That'd be great," Kagome answered. The others agreed and followed Joey, Kaiba, and Yugi to different locations.

As Emily watched, it made her so happy to see everyone getting along and becoming friends; especially in this wonderful place. That was when she began singing.

_The more I learn, the more I see_

_The less these worlds impassion me_

_The hungry heart, the roving eye_

_Have come to rest 'do not apply'_

_The frantic chase, the crazy ride_

_The thrill has gone, I step aside_

_I'd believe in anything, were it not for you_

_Showing me by just existing_

_Only this is true: I love you_

_I love you, without question, I love you_

In another part, Max was also watching everyone explore and make new friends. She also began singing.

_The more I want, the more I steal_

_The more I hold, the less is real_

_All worldly things, I follow blind_

_In hope, not faith was paid in kind_

_The line is drawn, the change is made_

_I come to you, I'm not afraid_

She approached Emily and the girls repeated the chorus as they continued to watch their friends.

After showing everyone around, Yugi and the others brought Inuyasha and his friends back to the Bone-Eaters Well. Before they left, Emily took out her camera and asked if she could take pictures for her journey. Kagome eagerly nodded, but Inuyasha and the others weren't sure what it was about. Not very surprising since photography didn't exist in the feudal era. Emily started by taking Kagome's picture first. The picture developed nicely. Emily taped it on a blank page in her photo album and took out a marker and wrote Kagome's name. After that, she did the same with Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Rin, and Kohaku.

"Thanks again for all your help," Sango said gratefully.

"I hope we get to see all of you again," said Rin.

"You will," Max promised.

"It was nice having you guys around," said Inuyasha.

"Maybe we can see your world someday too," said Kagome.

"We'd like that, but for now, we should all return home and rest after a rough battle," Kaiba suggested. Everyone agreed. One by one, Inuyasha and his friends went down the Bone-Eaters Well and returned to their world. "I wonder what'll become of them now," Kaiba said, looking down.

"They'll figure it out," said Yugi.

Max looked at the Cobalt Star shards around her neck. Five shards remained, meaning everyone was halfway there in completing the Cobalt Star.

Joey spoke up. "Max, I never knew you had that kind of power."

She knew he was talking about the Firebird. "I was never able to use it before. There may even come a time when I may have to use it again." She looks at Emily and tells her, "But I won't be able to without you, Emily. That means I'll need your help again just like you'll need mine."

The blonde girl understood. This meant that Emily didn't need to worry about relying on her own strength after all. She and the rest of her friends would continue to rely on each other's strength. Looking at the Cobalt Star shards, then looking at Max again, she says, "Let's get through this together; all of us." The others liked the sound of that.


	29. Secret of the Firebird

Secret of the Firebird

The story of the Knights of Light and Darkness had ties to the legend of when Millennia and Cobalt first battled each other. That was how everyone's friends from the other worlds knew so much about it. For Yugi and his friends, this was the first time they found out. As for Max, she already knew, but there were still some things she was about to learn.

That night, when she returned home to her estate, she held the Cobalt Star shards in her hands and began speaking to the Dark Lord himself. "My Lord, I have some things I need to discuss with you."

Sensing it in her tone, a small miasma emerges from the shards and takes on the form of a white-haired, dark-skinned man clad in blue robes. "You seem troubled, my dear. Is it because of what has been going on in these past few months?"

"A little bit," she replied. "Since you told me to follow Yugi and his friends to the other worlds to covet the shards, I've had some excitement, but I've also felt a hint of worry and fear. I didn't want to show it, but those feelings have grown throughout the journey."

Just like with the Great Goddess and her heroes, Max has been receiving words of advice and handy tools to help her on her journeys from the Dark Lord. She was also warned that she, too, would be tested in every way possible. Before, when she was sent to the world of the Sailor Scouts, Max was warned that she would encounter an old friend from her past. For Max, it was an unpleasant surprise that her old friend would be Fiore and that the Dark Lord would choose him and assign him with the task of occupying another world. Furthermore, Yugi and his friends are learning more about Max and who she really is and it's really causing her much concern.

"I know I shouldn't worry," continued Max. "Yugi and the others promised not to let anything they would find out affect their friendship with me, but I can't help but feel doubt; not just towards them, but towards myself. They trust me, but for some reason, I tell myself I don't deserve their trust."

"Why do you think that?" the Dark Lord asked out of curiosity.

"Because I noticed I've been going through some changes lately," she answered. "I know I shouldn't be concerned because people go through different kinds of changes in their lives. Other than that, all my life, I've taken on different forms and used different identities, but for some reason, I feel scared, like this is something I can't control and what may become of me will do a lot of harm."

"So you've noticed." The Dark Lord gently smiled. "Max, not only are your powers developing exponentially, but your body is becoming that of a warrior."

"A… a warrior," she echoed. "But wasn't I already?"

"Inside, yes, but on the outside, slowly, but surely," he answered. "You see, the dark power inside of you is neither good nor evil, but how you use it can affect you. Use it for evil, and it will turn you into a monster on the outside. Use it for a more just cause and you will become a true Knight of Darkness." It was like that with any power, so that didn't worry Max too much. Still, Max had heard about the legend of the Knights of Light and Darkness, that they were two magicians who were neither with nor against either deity, but wanted to bring harmony between their people.

"Max," Cobalt was saying. She looked at him and gave him her attention. "In the final battle against Naraku, something compelled you to help the princess, is that not true?" Seeing her nod, he asks her, "At that moment, what were you thinking? What were you feeling?"

She was quiet for a minute, but after thinking about it, she had an answer. "I was worried, scared for her. I remember when she used the Millennium Star before, Emily died."

The Dark Lord remembered that as well. When he could no longer sense Millennia's presence after the last stand against the Leviathan, he thought that the Great Goddess was gone for good and felt distraught. But to his relief and joy, she returned.

"I was afraid that if the same thing were to happen again, then there would have been no way to bring her back," continued Max. "I knew that if she died, without her, I wouldn't be able to find the rest of your shards because your fate is linked to Millennia's."

As true as that was, it wasn't really Max's answer. Cobalt knew as much and demanded, "Tell me the real truth, Max. Is that really why you stepped in?"

Max couldn't hide it. She answered, "No. Really, it was because… I didn't want to lose Emily. Not because our destinies are tied, but because… she's…" she gulped, then confessed, "because she's important to me. She may be my rival, but she's also my friend. And though I don't care to admit it, I do worry about her and I do think about her."

Satisfied with her answer, Cobalt smiles and says, "Very good. I also know that you know that the princess feels the same way for you. That is why she risks her life even for you."

Max knew. She always heard Emily preach about fighting to save everyone she loves and Max knew that she was included. "She always says each of her friends is special to her and that she'll protect everyone and everyone includes me too. Her friends are the same way. If they didn't care about me so much, none of them would go out of their way for me." That was when she began thinking about the times Yugi and the others risked their lives to protect her and save her from the people who took advantage of her.

"Believe it or not, Max, the princess is changing as well," said Cobalt. "When she first assembled the Millennium Star, her body was slowly changing into that of a princess. Now, like you, she is changing into that of a warrior. But no matter how much the both of you change, you will still be each other's special friend."

Max didn't want to doubt his words, but she had to ask, "Do you really think so?"

He nods. "So do you understand, Max, as to what happened back there?" He asks, talking about the fight with Naraku. "The Firebird couldn't be released," he pauses, then tells her, "until you and the princess realized how important you were to each other."

After thinking about what she had discussed with the Dark Lord, she smiles and replies, "Yes, I think I do understand." She stops smiling and asks, "But wait, how will that affect you and the Great Goddess?"

"That we shall leave for you girls to decide," he tells her. "But always remember why the two of you are important to each other." And he fades and returns to the shards in Max's hands.


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue

As Max lied down in her bed, she thought about the things she discussed and reflected on her adventures. It's true that people go through different changes every day and as scary as some of those changes may be, it's part of the natural progession. Also, no matter how much a person may change, they're still the same person on the inside. It's also no cause for anyone to try to be something they're not.

For Max, no matter what form she takes whether a fox or a human, no matter what her role, she's still Max. So no matter how much she changes, she'll still be the Max Yugi and his friends know and love. At first, she was afraid, but now she isn't so much anymore.

_It's true, _Max thought to herself_._ _No matter what happens_, _I'm still me. No matter what I look like, no matter what I do, I'll always be me. They say you are who you chose to be. I guess that's true. And there's no one else I'd rather be than me._


End file.
